Yanghe Pagoda, Tang Dynasty pagoda in Dali Town, China.
The Yanghe Pagoda is a thirteen-story brick structure with white mud plaster that rises about 70 meters above the ground. It displays elaborate Buddhist shrines on each floor and features reinforced outer walls that look solid and imposing.
The structure was built between 823 and 840 CE during the Nanzhao Kingdom and forms part of a larger temple complex near Cangshan Mountain. It underwent major restoration work in 1978 that revealed many religious artifacts inside.
The name comes from the nearby Yanghe River that flows through the region. Today it serves as an important site for local spiritual visits and gatherings.
The site is best reached on foot with a walk of about thirty minutes from the Old Town or by public transit for quicker access. Wear sturdy shoes since the path can be uneven and interior stairs are narrow and steep.
The interior is hollow from the first through eighth floors and contains marble Buddha statues positioned in different ways throughout the space. These hidden figures were only fully documented after modern restoration work and remain rarely visible to visitors.
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