Hohhot - Temple of the Five Pagodas Wuta Si

The Temple of the Five Pagodas (Wuta Si), in the south of the town about 200m/600ft from the People's Park (Renmin Gongyuan), was built during the reign of Yongzheng (1723-35); unfortunately, only the Diamond Pagoda has survived. Its base, decorated with floral and animal motifs, geometric patterns and quotations in Chinese, Mongolian, Tibetan and Sanskrit, is surmounted by five pagodas placed close together, the central one being the highest.

They are adorned with figures of the Buddha and Bodhisattva. Set into a decorative wall behind the pagoda is a stone tablet, 144cm/58in. in diameter, engraved with an astronomical map showing the twelve signs of the zodiac, the twelve signs of the Chinese horoscope and some two thousand stars. The inscriptions are in the Mongolian language. This map bears witness to the high standard of knowledge acquired by 18th C Chinese astronomers.