Full name: Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple in Dali, Yunnan

Abbreviation or common name: Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, Three Pagodas of Chongsheng, Three Pagodas of Dali and Three Pagodas.

Overall situation:

The three pagodas of Chongsheng Temple are a group of large Buddhist temples built in Nanzhao and Dali periods, which are located in front of the original Chongsheng Temple and are in a tripartite confrontation. Chongsheng Temple was founded in Fengyou period of Nanzhao (824-859 AD). Build the big tower first, then the south tower and the north tower. The temple is neutral, so the tower is named after the temple. Now the spectacular temple of the temple was destroyed in Xi 'an in the same year, leaving only three towers intact.

The three pagodas of Chongsheng Temple are the symbol of Dali's "land of literary fame", the symbol of ancient Yunnan history and culture, and one of the oldest and most magnificent buildings in southern China. 1961March, the State Council announced the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units.

The building complex is 4 km away from Xiaguan/kloc-0, located at the foot of Leying Peak in Cangshan Mountain 1.5km north of Dali, with its back to Cangshan Mountain and facing Erhai Lake. The three pagodas are composed of one big pagoda and two small pagodas, which stand tall and stand out from a distance. It is one of the scenic spots in Canger.

Construction situation:

According to historical records such as Nanzhao unofficial history (Hu Ben, Wang Ben) and Cooper Tongzhi, when Chongsheng Temple and the main tower were built, there were 7 temples, 890 temples, Buddha 1 1400 kg, and bronze wares of 40,590 kg, which were built in Nanzhao's tenth main tower.

Architectural composition:

Chongsheng Temple Site:

Chongsheng Temple was originally located in the west of the Three Pagodas, near Cangshan Mountain, and its gate is about 120 meters away from the main tower of the Three Pagodas. It was built by Wang Quanfeng in the 10 generation (824-859 AD) of Nanzhao State in the late Nanzhao period. In the middle of Nanzhao, the worship of Buddhism rose, and by the time it was induced, it had won a great victory. There are 3,000 small temples and 800 large temples all over Yunnan. In Dali after Nanzhao, Buddhism is more developed than Nanzhao. Therefore, Dali is known as "the country of Buddhism" and "the country of Miao nationality". After the completion of Chongsheng Temple, it became the center of Buddhist activities in Nanzhao and Dali periods. The "sage" worshipped by Chongsheng Temple is Guanyin. At that time, Guanyin worship in Dali was extremely successful.

Three pagodas of Chongsheng Temple:

The main tower of the Three Towers is called Chihiro Tower, with a bottom width of 9.9 meters and an existing height of 69. 13 meters and 16 floors. It is a square hollow brick tower with dense eaves, one of the highest existing towers in China, and a typical building in the Tang Dynasty. Its shape is similar to the Little Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi 'an, and it is one of the typical towers in the Tang Dynasty. The tower body is painted with white ash and there are niches on all sides of each floor. The two niches opposite are for Buddha statues, and the other two niches are window openings. There is a wooden skeleton in the tower, and the inner wall of the tower is vertical up and down. There are wooden stairs, you can reach the top floor, and you can enjoy the panoramic view of Dali ancient city from the viewing hole. There are metal towers, pagodas and golden cocks at the top of the tower. At the bottom, there are four big characters engraved on marble, written by Gongsun Shijie, a descendant of Mu Ying, Ganyuan, Ming Dynasty. The tower foundation is square, divided into three layers, the lower layer is 33.5 meters long, surrounded by stone fences, and the four corners of the fence are carved with stone lions; The upper side is 2 1 m long, and there is a stone wall in the east and middle, where the four Chinese characters "Yongzhen Mountains and Rivers" are located, each word 1.7 m, and the brushwork is vigorous and magnificent. Looking up under the tower, I saw the tower sitting in the clouds, and the clouds moved to the tower, which seemed to be dumping.

Among the three towers, the South Tower and the North Tower are located on the west side of the main tower, 70 meters equidistant from the main tower, facing north and south, with a distance of 97.5 meters, all built by Dali in the Five Dynasties. The two towers have the same shape, both of which are 10 floors and 42.4 meters high. They are octagonal hollow brick towers with dense eaves. They are decorated in attic style, and there are pillars in every corner. There are chess fights in the fourth and sixth levels, each level has a flat seat, and there is a gold-plated pagoda at the top, which is very gorgeous. Every eave, the corner is upturned, and there is no need for beam-column arch. Use contour lines to achieve artistic effects. Datong is covered by Carboniferous, like a jade pillar.

The three pagodas of Chongsheng Temple are neatly arranged and well preserved, and their appearance and shape are coordinated with each other. The big tower leads to two small towers, highlighting its main position and setting off the exquisite elegance of the small towers; The small tower follows the big tower, setting off its height and majesty. The layout of the three pagodas is like a tripod, towering in the blue sky, becoming the symbol of Dali Bai culture and the most magnificent pagoda group in southern China. The three pagodas complement Cangshan and Erhai in the distance, embellishing the historical charm of the ancient city of Dali. Although it has experienced thousands of years of wind and rain erosion and many major earthquakes, it is still intact.

Architectural style:

Generally speaking, the architectural style of the three pagodas is similar to the Little Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi 'an, which is a typical Tang Pagoda style, showing the close relationship between Yunnan and the mainland during the Tang and Song Dynasties, but the three pagodas have two characteristics different from the mainland pagodas: the floors of the first and third pagodas are even, while the mainland pagodas are mostly odd. Second, the Central Plains Tower linearly contracts upward from the base, and the bottom is large and the top is small, showing a rectangular trapezoid; The three towers are smaller up and down, larger in the middle, and the outer contour is arc.

Protection status:

After the completion of Chongsheng Temple and Three Pagodas, the incense in the temple once flourished. When Yuan Wuzong "issued an order", he was awarded the title of abbot to protect the temple property and exempt from grain tax. In the Yuan Dynasty, it was renovated again, which made "the temple pavilion rejuvenated, the three pagodas stood upright, resplendent and magnificent, and the mountains and beams were equal". When Li Yuanyang was rebuilt in the Ming Dynasty, there were also "three pavilions, seven floors, nine halls and a hundred houses". At that time, there were five treasures in the temple: Three Pagodas, Giant Bell, Yutong Guanyin, Zhengbei and Fodu Tablet. When Xu Xiake arrived in Dali, he still saw the "Three Pagodas" in front of Chongsheng Temple, and Nuo Nuo was surrounded by towering clouds. In the west, there is a bell tower opposite the three towers, which is extremely magnificent. Behind the building is the main hall, and behind the main hall is "guanyin temple, a rain bead, copper, three feet high" (Diary 8 of Xu Xiake's travels in Yunnan). It is said that the bell in the temple was built in the 12th year of Jianji (AD 87 1), "the diameter can reach more than ten feet, but it is one foot thick" and "its reputation can reach 80 miles". "There are three towers on the clouds through the ages, and the clock on the first floor is full of wind and rain all day long" has always been popular. The rain bronze Guanyin, solemn and slim in waist, is a relic of Nanzhao. However, with the vicissitudes of life, the giant bell was destroyed in the Qing Dynasty, the Yutong Guanyin was destroyed in the ten-year turmoil, and the Taoist plaque and Buddha brand, together with the temple, have now disappeared.

After thousands of years of vicissitudes and wind and rain erosion, Chongsheng Temple was destroyed in Xianfeng period of Qing Dynasty, but the West Three Pagodas stood tall. 1925 earthquake, tower top earthquake, tower top falling, broken and heavy. After the founding of New China, the government attached great importance to the protection of the Three Towers and carried out large-scale maintenance in 1978. During this maintenance, more than 600 Buddhist relics from Nanzhao and Dali periods were found in the pedestal of Chihiro Pagoda, including a large number of Buddha statues and Buddhist scriptures, among which the golden Guanyin statue with respect to1135g and height of 24cm is extremely precious. This is the richest batch of cultural relics discovered so far in Nanzhao and Dali periods, which is of great value and has attracted much attention at home and abroad. These discoveries have uncovered the mystery of ancient Dali, a "Buddhist country".