Tres Pagodas del templo Chongsheng

The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple (Chongsheng Si Santasi) are the most iconic landmark in Dali and one of the most celebrated Buddhist monuments in southwest China. Set about a kilometer and a half north of Dali Old Town, with the Cangshan range rising behind and Erhai Lake shimmering to the east, the complex sits in one of the most photogenic locations in the entire country. For foreign visitors, it offers an unmatched introduction to the art, architecture, and religious history of the Nanzhao and Dali kingdoms that flourished here from the seventh through the thirteenth centuries.

The centerpiece is the trio of pagodas — the principal Qianxun Pagoda, a square brick tower some seventy meters tall, flanked by two smaller octagonal pagodas in a triangular arrangement. The main pagoda was built in the ninth century during the Nanzhao kingdom and is stylistically related to the Small Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an, while the two smaller pagodas date from a slightly later period. Together they form one of the most enduring and aesthetically pleasing architectural compositions in Chinese Buddhism, and they have survived centuries of earthquakes that felled far more recent structures nearby.

Behind the pagodas, the modern Chongsheng Temple complex extends up the slope in a sequence of grand halls, bell towers, and pavilions reconstructed in 2005 on the site of the ancient royal monastery. The layout is impressive: a long central axis leads through gates and courtyards, past a massive bronze bell, the Yutong Guanyin Hall with its distinctive image of Guanyin, and finally to the upper halls of the temple proper. The complex, which contains tens of thousands of dragon motifs in its decoration, aims to evoke the grandeur of the original royal monastery described in Tang and Song sources.

Don't miss the Three Pagodas Reflection Pool, just behind the main cluster, where the pagodas are perfectly mirrored in a small ornamental pond — one of the most photographed scenes in Yunnan. The on-site museum displays precious Nanzhao and Dali kingdom artifacts excavated during restoration of the pagodas, including Buddhist reliquaries, statues, and ritual objects. Plan for a half-day visit, and try to arrive in the morning for the best light on the pagodas and a quieter temple atmosphere.