Three Pagodas
Of Dali
 The
Three Pagodas are located at the foot of Yingle
Peak of Cangshan Mountain at the northwest suburb
of Dali Ancient City. In the time of Nanzhao and
Dali Kingdoms, Chongshengsi was the largest monastery
in this area and the Three Pagodas were only a
part of it. Now, the monastery has long disappeared
and only the Three Pagodas remain.
Between Cangshan Mountain
and Erhai Lake, the Three Pagodas stand
like the legs of a huge tripod. Qianxun
Pagoda, the main one, is square-shaped with
closed eaves similar to Xiaoyan Pagoda in
Xi'an. It has 16 tiers with a total height
of 69.13 metres, and is in a typical architectural
style of the Tang Dynasty. At the basement
of the pagoda are engraved four Chinese
Characters "YONG ZHEN SHAN CHUAN"
(meaning everlasting sovereignty and peace)
in the handwriting of Mu Shijie, grandson
of Mu Ying, the Senior Duke of Qian of the
Ming Dynasty. It was first built in the
era of Fengyou Emperor of Nanzhao Kingdoms
about the same time of the Tang Dynasty.
On the south and north sides of the main
pagoda stand two smaller ones of octagonal
shape with dosed eaves. Each one has 10
tiers with a height of 43 metres. On the
top of each pagoda, there are three copper-made
calabashes, each connected with an umbrella
shaped bronze bell. They were constructed
during the period of the Five Dynasty (907-906),
slightly later than the main one. The cover
of Qianxun Pagoda is white-washed. On each
story, there are four shines. There are
Buddhist sculpture on the east and west
shrines. The other two shrines are the windows
for the pagoda. There are wood beams inside
the pagoda. Along stairs inside, one can
reach the top. There are four corners on
the summit. Each corner hangs a golden wing
bird cast by copper. Legend has it that
these birds have spell on the demons in
Erhai Lake. On the summit of the pagoda,
there are also metal pagoda top, pagoda
cover, pagoda peak and a golden cock. On
the base of the pagoda, there is a epigraph:
The Ruler of Mountains and Rivers. There
are pillars at very corner and platform
on each story. On the fourth and sixth floor,
there are embossed, and golden were there,
so splendid.
 During
the renovation in 1979, more than 600 pieces of
cultural relics were discovered, including hand-written
Buddhist scriptures, books, engraved bronze plates,
bronze mirrors, statues of Buddha made of gold,
silver, bronze, iron, porcelain, jade, and quartz,
and medicinal herbs. Up to now, they constitute
the largest store of relics of Nanshao and Dali
Kingdoms ever found, providing sure proofs of
the influence of the Han culture upon minority
nationalities in the border areas.
The bell tower behind
the Three Pagodas was set up in 1997. A
jianji Bell hangs from the upper part of
the building. It sounds louder when one
taps on it with mighty power. One can hear
the voice from the other world. This is
one of 16 famous scene in Dali -- The Bell
Shapes the Capital of Buddhist.
Weathering through the storms
and earthquakes in the past to 10 centuries and
more, the Three Pagodas still elegantly stand
there. They are the symbols of outstanding architectural
technology, the wisdom of the ancient labouring
people and the brilliant culture of Dali.
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