The Three Pagodas, made of brick and covered with white mud, comprise three independent pagodas forming a symmetric triangle. 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 have a history of over 1,800 years, offering one of the best preserved Buddhist structures in China. The construction of three pagodas is one of three curiosities of Chinese ancient architecture.
A climb to the top of the pagodas rewards with a beautiful overlook of Dali Ancient Town and Erhai Lake. It is worthy of a visit for the Tang architecture, presenting numerous statues of the Buddha and Guanyin with influences from both India and China, dragon fountains, and two small museum showcases.
The middle pagoda, Qianxun Pagoda, is one of the highest pagodas of the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907). This pagoda was first built with the purpose of earthquake prevention.
It is square shaped and composed of sixteen stories; each story has multiple tiers of upturned eaves. There is a carved shrine containing a white marble sitting Buddha statue at the center of each facade of every story.