The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple
The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple are famous Buddhist relies, which were listed as a key cultural site under the State protection in 1961. Three huge monoliths in the northern part of the city, they add luster to the natural scenery of the Cangshan Mountains and Erhai Lake. The three brick pagodas have become the symbol of Dali. They were built in different styles. The main one, the Qianxun Pagoda, is 69.13 meters high and was built in the late Tang Dynasty. The smaller pagodas to the north and south of it are 42.4 meters high and were built during the existence of the State of Dali, from the time of the Five Dynasties to that of the Southern Song Dynasty. The two smaller pagodas join the Qianxun Pagoda to produce a magnificent group. In 1978, the State Bureau of Cultural Relics earmarked special funds for the maintenance of the pagodas and sorted out 680 pieces of cultural relics, the largest and the most important group of cultural relics from the states of Nanzhao and Dali found so far. These pagodas and cultural relics demonstrate the achievements of the ancient people of southwest China.