The Chongsheng Temple And The Three-Pagoda Culture Tourist Area

The Chongsheng Temple And The Three-Pagoda Culture Tourist Area is located 1.5 km north of Dali Ancient Town, serving as the royal temple during the Dali Kingdom period. With Erhai Lake to the east and Cangshan Mountain's Yinglue Peak to the west, the scenery here is exceptionally beautiful. The three pagodas were originally part of Chongsheng Temple. While the temple seen today is a reconstruction, the pagodas remain as millennia-old relics and a major highlight for visitors. The tour route begins at the attraction's main gate, where the three pagodas immediately come into view atop the central axis staircase. The large central pagoda, called Qianxun Pagoda, stands majestically with two smaller pagodas to its north and south, forming a grand tripartite layout.

The three pagodas resemble the Small Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an. The perfect spot to photograph them is the "Three Pagodas Reflection Pool" in the Three Pagodas Reflection Park located diagonally behind them, where travelers can capture the pagodas and their reflections in the water. Many travelers take photos here as souvenirs. Walking around the pagodas and following the central axis inward, visitors can view Nanzhao and Dali Kingdom artifacts excavated during the pagodas' restoration at the cultural relics exhibition hall, admire the 16-ton Nanzhao Jianji Bell in the bell tower, see the Rain Copper Guanyin in the Rain Copper Guanyin Hall, and finally arrive at the Chongsheng Temple.

The current Chongsheng Temple was rebuilt in 2005, boasting a grand scale that reflects the imperial monastery's grandeur during the Nanzhao and Dali periods. The temple houses over 10,000 dragon designs of various types, making it the temple with the most dragon depictions in China. Additionally, it features one of the country's largest cowhide drums, measuring 3.1 m in diameter and made from a single piece of cowhide, which is worth seeing.