Dali Chongsheng Temple

Number of days: 2 days
Time: April
Average cost: 1,000 yuan
With whom：a person
Updated: 2023.04.30

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Dali Chongsheng Temple

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">A visit to Dali is a must-see destination. Facing Erhai Lake to the east and Cangshan Mountain to the west, Chongsheng Temple is located approximately one kilometer north of the ancient city of Dali in Yunnan Province. Historically, nine Dali emperors became monks at Chongsheng Temple, making it a renowned royal monastery for both the Nanzhao and Dali kingdoms. Chongsheng Temple was once renowned for its five major artifacts: the Three Pagodas, the Nanzhao Jianji Bell, the Bronze Avalokitesvara Statue, the Golden Statues of the Three Saints, and the "Buddha Capital" plaque. However, these and other major artifacts were destroyed by war and natural disasters throughout history. Chongsheng Temple was rebuilt on August 8, 2003, and the Chongsheng Temple Three Pagodas Cultural Tourism Area is a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction. Dali Chongsheng Temple Cultural Heritage Monument

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Dali Chongsheng Temple Price List

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Guide Map of Chongsheng Temple in Dali

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple in Dali

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple consist of one large and two small ones. The large pagoda is also called the Qianxun Pagoda, and its full name is "Fajie Tongling Mingdao Cheng Pagoda." The Qianxun Pagoda was built during the Quanfengyou period of the Nanzhao Dynasty (823-859 AD). The Qianxun Pagoda and the two smaller pagodas to the north and south are each 70 meters apart, forming a tripod. Qianxun Pagoda stands 69.13 meters tall and 9.9 meters wide at the base. It is a square, dense-eaves, hollow brick tower with 16 levels, making it one of the tallest existing pagodas in China. Along with the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and the Small Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an, it is a typical Tang Dynasty building. Its shape is similar to the Small Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an, making it a typical Tang Dynasty pagoda style. The tower's interior walls run vertically through the tower, with wooden staircases. The two smaller towers to the south and north have tapered outlines, a typical Song Dynasty architectural style. They were built during the reigns of Duan Zhengyan and Duan Zhengxing of the Dali Kingdom (1108-1172 AD). The two smaller towers, 97 meters apart and each 42.19 meters high, are a pair of 10-story octagonal, dense-eaves brick towers with a two-story base. Each octagonal eaves is adorned with brackets, platform, and variously shaped niches, mimicking wooden structures. The towers are decorated with relief carvings of Buddha statues, lotus flowers, vases, and other figures. Floors one through eight are hollow, vertical walls, supported by crosses. The base is also octagonal, with the layers above the eighth floor being solid and the layers below the eighth floor being hollow. Thousands of Pagodas

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Thousands of Pagodas

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">On the east screen wall in front of the tower, there are stone-carved Chinese characters "永镇山川" written by Mu Shijie, the grandson of Mu Ying, Duke of Qian in the Ming Dynasty. Each character is 1.7 meters high.

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Small Tower

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Qianxun Tower

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Reflections of the Three Pagodas

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Frog Croaking Stone of Chongsheng Temple in Dali

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">The Frog Croaking Stone is a stone that can be struck with the sound of frogs croaking. Chongsheng Temple, Dali.

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp"> Chongsheng Temple, Dali.

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Nanzhao Jianji Large Bell Tower at Chongsheng Temple in Dali

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">The Nanzhao Jianji Large Bell was cast in 871 AD, the 12th year of the Nanzhao Jianji era, hence its name. According to Xu Xiake's Diary of a Trip to Yunnan, "The bell is enormous, over ten feet in diameter and a foot thick. Its sound can be heard up to eighty miles away..." It is one of the five most important artifacts in Chongsheng Temple, and along with the Three Pagodas, is a treasure of the temple. It was destroyed during the wars of the Xianfeng and Tongzhi reigns of the Qing Dynasty (1856-1872). In 1997, the Nanzhao Jianji Large Bell Tower and the Jianji Large Bell were rebuilt.

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">The Nanzhao Jianji Big Bell Tower of Chongsheng Temple in Dali

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">View from the Nanzhao Jianji Big Bell Tower of Chongsheng Temple in Dali

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Dali Chongsheng Temple

The Yutong Guanyin statue at Chongsheng Temple was cast in the second year of the Guanghua reign of Emperor Zhaozong of the Tang Dynasty (899 AD), during the reign of Shun Huazhen, the last king of Nanzhao. It is a "standing statue, cast in bronze, three zhang tall." It is a gilded Guanyin statue, crowned, with a slender waist and bare feet. Its left arm hangs down, holding a nectar bottle, while its right arm is raised, its chest exposed and wrapped in a thin skirt. A large bell stands in the front porch of the Yutong Guanyin Hall. Small pagodas stand to the north and south of the skylight. The main hall's clepsydra houses a statue of the Earth Mother, and opposite the main hall is a statue of Skanda Bodhisattva. During the Xianfeng reign of the Qing Dynasty, the Yutong Guanyin Hall was destroyed by fire, damaging the statue's hands and the corners of its garment. It wasn't until the 22nd year of the Guangxu reign (1896 AD) that Cai Biao, then the governor of Dali, restored the damaged portions. However, the original Yutong Guanyin was cast in black copper, and the later additions were made of bronze, resulting in a lower luster and quality than the original. During the Cultural Revolution, it was smashed and recycled as part of the "Four Olds" campaign. In 1999, the Yutong Guanyin Temple was expanded and rebuilt on the original site. The 8.6-meter-tall, gilded bronze Yutong Guanyin, meticulously reproduced from a photograph extant from the late Qing Dynasty, weighs 11 tons. With a kind and compassionate female face and a sturdy, upright male figure, this statue represents the transition from male to female Guanyin in Dali during the middle and late Nanzhao period.

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Yutong Guanyin Hall of Chongsheng Temple in Dali

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">The Yutong Guanyin Hall of Chongsheng Temple in Dali

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Dali Chongsheng Temple - Yutong Guanyin Hall

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Dali Chongsheng Temple

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Dali Chongsheng Temple - Mountain Gate

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">The mountain gate of Chongsheng Temple in Dali

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">The Chongsheng Temple in Dali

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">There is a vegetarian restaurant on the right after entering the mountain gate. It costs 20 yuan per person and they serve five or six kinds of rice.

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Dali Chongsheng Temple

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Dali Chongsheng Temple Medicine Buddha Hall

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Enshrined in the Medicine Buddha Hall is a 1.6-meter-tall seated statue of Medicine Buddha. Medicine Buddha is a transliteration of Sanskrit, and its full name is "Medicine Master Liuliguang Tathagata", also known as "Medicine King Shanshi" and "Great Physician King Buddha".

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Dhall of the Medicine Master of Chongsheng Temple in Dali

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Hall of the God of Wealth of Chongsheng Temple in Dali

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">The hall houses a 4-meter-tall statue of the God of Wealth in golden armor riding a tiger.

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">The God of Wealth Hall of Chongsheng Temple in Dali

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">The Heavenly King Hall of Chongsheng Temple in Dali

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">It is a replica of the Ming Dynasty single-eaved hipped roof with five bays. It adopts solemn golden dragons, golden phoenixes and imperial seals. In the center is a 5.7-meter-tall statue of Mahakala, and on both sides are 5-meter-tall four guardian heavenly kings. Dali Chongsheng Temple Heavenly King Hall

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Dalhou Chongsheng Temple Heavenly King Hall

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Tianwang Hall, Chongsheng Temple, Dali

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Maitreya Hall, Chongsheng Temple, Dali

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">The Maitreya Hall is a replica of a Song Dynasty single-eaved, seven-bay hipped roof building, adorned with the solemn and elegant Hexi color scheme. Maitreya Buddha is enshrined in the front center, Skanda is behind, and the Eight Immortals are flanked by images of the Celestial Beings.

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Maitreya Hall of Chongsheng Temple in Dali

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Guanyin Hall of Chongsheng Temple in Dali

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Eleven-Faced Guanyin Hall: This is a replica of a Ming Dynasty building with double eaves and five bays. It houses a 9-meter-tall Eleven-Faced Guanyin statue and eight incarnations of Guanyin (standing and seated, 4 meters high).

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Guanyin Hall of Chongsheng Temple in Dali

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Arhat Hall of Chongsheng Temple in Dali

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">The Arhat Hall houses 500 Arhats and two Mingwang statues. The 500 Arhat statues are an average of 1.8 meters tall and are made of bronze with gilding. Dali Chongsheng Temple Arhat Hall

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Dali Chongsheng Temple Arhat Hall

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Arhat Hall of Chongsheng Temple in Dali

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Thousand Buddha Hall of Chongsheng Temple in Dali

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Main Hall of Chongsheng Temple in Dali

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">The Main Hall is modeled after the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the Forbidden City in Beijing. It is a Qing Dynasty building with double eaves and nine bays, and a three-tiered base. The hall is 51.7 meters wide and 26 meters high. The Zhang Shengwen Scroll, carved into a 1.8-meter-high and 117-meter-long wooden scroll, is installed within the four inner walls of the Main Hall, within giant niches measuring 2.03 meters high and 119 meters long. Eighteen panels depicting the "Buddha's Own Story" (the story of the Tathagata Buddha from his birth, ordination, enlightenment, founding of Buddhism, spreading of his disciples, reverence for the Buddha, and his passing) are carved into the 18 lattice doors of the Main Hall. The Main Hall is the highest-ranking building in Chongsheng Temple and is located at the center of the temple. Dali Chongsheng Temple Main Hall

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Dali Chongsheng Temple Main Hall

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Main Hall of Chongsheng Temple in Dali

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Patriarch Hall of Chongsheng Temple in Dali

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">The hall houses the statues of the six Zen patriarchs: Bodhidharma, Huike, Sengcan, Daoxuan, Hongren, and Huineng. The six Zen patriarchs are all seated, 6 meters tall, and without gilding.

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Patriarch Hall of Chongsheng Temple in Dali

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Acāyā Guanyin Pavilion of Chongsheng Temple in Dali

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Acāyā Guanyin Pavilion is a three-tiered pavilion built on a high platform, surrounded by trees and modeled after the Tang Dynasty style. A 12-meter-tall statue of Acāyā Guanyin is enshrined in its center.

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Acāya Guanyin Pavilion of Chongsheng Temple in Dali

Acuoye Guanyin Pavilion, Chongsheng Temple, Dali

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">The weather has been bad these days, but if it's good, you can see Erhai Lake from the Acuoye Guanyin Pavilion. There's also a Wanghai Tower on the hill behind the Acuoye Guanyin Pavilion, which offers even further views, but visitors are not allowed up there due to fire safety concerns.

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">Dali Chongsheng Temple High Monk Hall

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">The High Monk Hall houses 4-meter-tall statues of nine emperors of the Dali Kingdom who became monks.

src="/travelogue/China/Yunnan/4097348/67.webp">There is a direct bus from the ancient city to Chongsheng Temple. The bus stop is on the highway, or you can take a taxi nearby in the ancient city. It takes 2-3 hours to visit Chongsheng Temple. You can take an electric car in the scenic area.