3 Pagodas Temple

The Three Pagodas temple (三塔诗) is the cultural symbol of Dali. Located at the foot of Cangshan Mountain and near the famous Erhai Lake, the Three Pagodas stands about 1 kilometre west of Dali City.They are three pagodas in tripartite formation and the main pagoda is named Qianxun Pagoda; it is 70 metres high and flanked by 2 smaller pagodas on each side at 42 metres high. Qianxun Pagoda is in the typical architectural style of the Tang Dynasty’s (618 – 907). It is a 16-storied pagoda enclosed with stone hurdles while the two smaller same style pagodas are 10-storied.During the repairing of the Three Pagodas in the 1970s, more than 600 relics were found, including scriptures, bronze mirrors, golden Buddhas and crystal Buddhas.Tourists can visit the Three Pagodas from 8:00 to 19:00 and the admission fee is RMB 121. It takes 30 minutes to reach there by feet if you start from the Dali Old Town. Also there are public buses leaving from Xiaguan directly to Three Pagodas temple.