A typical sight in Dali is the three Pagodas at the Chongsheng Temple. The Three Pagodas are located 1 km northwest of Dali Old Town at the foot of Zhonghe Peak. They are historical witnesses of the prevailing Buddhism in those days in Dali. The Three Pagodas consist of one big pagoda and two small ones. They stand like the three legs of a tripod which looks magnificent. They are one of the wonders in Dali. In the middle period of the Nanzhao reign, Buddhism was all the rage and in the late period of this Kingdom, when it reached its hayday, Buddhist temples were built all over Yunnan. The Chongsheng Monastery was built by the 10 th king in the era of Quanfengyou (824-859 AD). It was destroyed during the Xianfeng Period in the Qing Dynasty. The Three Pagodas were built respectively at different periods of time. The main pagoda, the Qianxun Pagoda, which is named after its height, was ereted when the Chongsheng Monastery was built. The Qianxun Pagoda is a sixteen-story tower and height of 69.13 metres. On the south and north side of the main pagoda stand two small octagonal ones with closed eaves. Each has 10 stories at a height of 42.4 metres. They were erected during the Wudai Period of the Dali Kingdom. The Three Pagodas are representation of the ancient architectural and cultural arts of the Bai nationality.
