Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple

The central pagoda, Qianxun, was built in the ninth century under the Nanzhao kingdom, sixteen storeys and about sixty-nine metres tall in square brick, with two smaller octagonal pagodas of the tenth century flanking it and leaning slightly. The monastery around them was destroyed and the pagodas survived, standing through a series of major earthquakes including one in 1925 that levelled most of Dali; a crack opened in one and reportedly closed again in a later shock. A reflecting pool below gives the classic view with the Cangshan peaks behind, and a large temple complex was rebuilt uphill in the 2000s.

What you actually see

• Qianxun pagoda - the ninth-century central tower of sixteen storeys.
• The two flanking pagodas - smaller tenth-century towers, slightly leaning.
• The reflecting pool - the standard view with Cangshan behind.
• The rebuilt monastery - modern halls climbing the hillside above.

When to go

March to June and September to November for clear skies; the mountain backdrop is often cloud-covered in the summer rains. Early morning gives the best light and the calmest pool.

Honest expectations

The pagodas cannot be entered or climbed. The large temple complex behind is a modern reconstruction. Entry is among the more expensive in Dali for a short visit.

Nearby

Dali old town lies south; Xizhou is north.