San Ta Si Gongyuan (Three Pagodas Park)
About 2km (1 1/4 miles) northwest of town at the foot of the Cang Shan Mountains, Dali's most famous landmark has unfortunately become a massive tourist trap. Apart from the pagodas, a new temple and a museum have been added to the rear of the park but there is very little of interest inside them; nonetheless, in 2 years, ticket prices have increased fivefold, from ¥10 ($1.25) to ¥52 ($6.50). This once open and informal garden is now sequestered behind thick red walls. The three pagodas were originally part of Chongwen Si monastery and have withstood several earthquakes through the years. The monastery itself was destroyed in the Qing dynasty, and what you see today dates only from 1999. The central pagoda, the statuesque 16-story, 69m-high (226-ft.)Qianxun Ta,resembling Xi'an's Small Goose Pagoda, was built first between 824 and 859 and is a hollow square brick structure with graceful eaves. Each floor has windows and niches containing Buddhist statues, many of them now defaced if not completely destroyed. The two smaller flanking octagonal pagodas were built later during the 12th century, and have 10 tiers each for a total height of 42m (138 ft.). The pagoda's doors and windows have been filled with concrete to prevent visitors from climbing inside. A popular photo op is from a small lake in the northeast corner of the park that captures the reflections of all three pagodas in a stunning tableau. Apart from that one particular vista, the rest of the site is overrated.
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| Hours | 8am-7pm | |
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| Location | San Ta Gongyuan | |
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| Prices | Admission ¥52 ($6.50) | |