Lake Erhai - Temple of the Exalted Holy One (Temple of the Three Pagodas) Chongsheng Si (Santa Si)
The Temple of the Exalted Holy One (Chongsheng Si), also known as the Temple of the Three Pagodas (Santa Si), stands on the west bank of Lake Erhai. It is known mainly for its three pagodas. The largest of these, the Pagoda of the Thousand Searches (Qianxun Ta), a rectangular building of sixteen stepped stories, stands 69m/226ft high and is very similar to the Pagoda of the Little Wild Goose in Xian.
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There are some doubts as to when it was built, although most experts now think it was in the third decade of the 9th C. In the center of the front of each story there is a niche containing a marble statue of the Buddha.
The two smaller pagodas are to the north and south of the large one. Both are octagonal, of ten stepped stories, and date from the time of the Five Dynasties (907-960).
When renovation work was carried out in 1978 large numbers of historically interesting objects were discovered in the foundations and upper structure of the pagodas.
Behind the pagodas lies the Hall of Yutong Guanyin Dian, which houses a particularly interesting bronze statue of the Buddha and a marble stele (1325).
The two smaller pagodas are to the north and south of the large one. Both are octagonal, of ten stepped stories, and date from the time of the Five Dynasties (907-960).
When renovation work was carried out in 1978 large numbers of historically interesting objects were discovered in the foundations and upper structure of the pagodas.
Behind the pagodas lies the Hall of Yutong Guanyin Dian, which houses a particularly interesting bronze statue of the Buddha and a marble stele (1325).
