Three Pagodas

The Three Pagodas of the Chongsheng Temple (Chinese: 崇圣寺三塔; pinyin: Chóngshèng Sì Sāntǎ) are an ensemble of three independent pagodas arranged on the corners of an equilateral triangle, near the old town of Dali, Yunnan province, China, dating from the time of the Kingdom of Nanzhao and Kingdom of Dali in the 9th and 10th centuries.

They are at the east foot of the tenth peak of the massive Cangshan Mountains and face the west shore of the Erhai Lake of ancient Dali.

The elegant, balanced and stately style is unique in China's ancient Buddhist architectures, which makes it a must-see in the tour of Dali.

The Three Pagodas, visible from miles away, has been a landmark of Dali City and selected as a national treasure meriting preservation in China.

The body of the pagoda is hollow from the first to the eighth story, surrounded with 3.3 meters (10 feet) thick walls.

In 1978, more than 700 Buddhist antiques, including sculptures made of gold, silver, wood or crystal and documents, were found in the body during a major repairing work.

Reflection Pond mirroring the image of the Three Pagodas.
The Three Pagodas, taken from the entrance
Chongsheng Pagoda in 1952