East and West Temple Pagodas

The Changle Temple Pagoda, also known as the East Temple Pagoda, is a 13-story, square, hollow brick pagoda with dense eaves, standing 40.57 meters tall. A doorway opens on the south side of the ground floor, and from the second floor onward, arched holes are carved into the eaves on all four sides, each housing a stone Buddha statue. Four bronze garudas stand atop the pagoda, earning it the nickname "Golden Rooster Pagoda." Originally built during the Tang Dynasty, the East Temple Pagoda collapsed in the 1833 Kunming earthquake. The existing East Temple Pagoda was restored in 1882.

The two towers have been damaged and renovated in a way that mirrors each other. Now, they look very new, but you can still imagine what they looked like originally. When I shared pictures of the East and West Pagodas, a friend asked me if they were the Three Pagodas of Dali. Well, that really fits the cultural description. Coming out of the West Pagoda, you can see the East Pagoda in the distance. They look so perfect together!

Standing on the city wall, you can see the East and West Temple Pagodas on either side. The Changle Temple Pagoda on the east side is also known as the Golden Rooster Pagoda because of the golden-winged bird atop it. The legend of the "rooster's crow" was only solved in modern times. The Huiguang Temple Pagoda on the west side is similar in shape to the East Pagoda, and the two towers complement each other perfectly. Today, one is a camellia garden, and the other a leisure plaza, both serving as places of rest for the surrounding Kunming community.

In southern Kunming, a pedestrian street connects the East Temple Pagoda on Shulin Street to the east and the West Temple Pagoda on East Temple Street to the west. The street is paved entirely with stone slabs. Twenty-six stone street lamps, replicas of those built in 1847 during the reign of Emperor Daoguang of the Qing Dynasty, stand on either side. The eastern section features bronze sculptures depicting "Horse Driver," "Night Watchman," "Bowl Mender," "Eggs Sold on a Tie," and "Chess Game."

I think these two towers are very similar in nature and look very nice.

The East and West Pagodas are both enclosed by walls and are open daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. We arrived at 5:45 PM and it was already closed. But it didn't matter; we could see it from the outside, from a distance, for a better perspective.

It was raining when I went there, and the reflections I took were quite beautiful!

It's just a tower, nothing much to see...

It is a little different from what I imagined. It is very small and is basically a small park for local residents.

In the early 21st century, a pedestrian street was newly constructed in southern Kunming, connecting the East Temple Pagoda on Shulin Street in the east and the West Temple Pagoda on East Temple Street in the west. The street is paved entirely with stone slabs. Twenty-six stone street lamps, modeled after those built in the last years of the Qing Dynasty (1847), stand on either side of the street. Bronze sculptures such as "Horse Driver," "Night Watchman," "Bowl Mender," "Eggs Sold on a Tie," and "Chess Game" adorn the eastern section of the street. A replica of the ancient building, the Jinri Building, has been constructed in the south corridor in the middle of the street.

Kunming's landmark buildings, one on the left and one on the right, very interesting

It is not far from the Golden Horse and Jade Rooster Archway. The towers are very beautiful. The East Tower and the West Tower are facing each other from a distance. If you live nearby, you can stroll over to have a look. There is no need to make a special trip there.

Although it was destroyed before and rebuilt later, its charm still remains. It is not to be missed when you come to Kunming.

Located in the very center of the city, among the high-rise buildings, is a low pagoda that embodies traditional Buddhist culture.

I visited the East and West Temple Pagodas in Yunnan many years ago and the scenery was beautiful.

Kunming - East and West Temple Pagodas:

In the alley south of Nanping Street.

Ancient buildings

Kunming's buildings are always discovered inadvertently.

Feel the history and culture here, the historical accumulation ~

You can slowly walk through the alleys and experience the customs and culture of Kunming.

Of course, next to it is the Golden Horse and Jade Rooster Square.

There are also many tourists every day.

In the downtown area, surrounded by modern buildings,

The East Temple Pagoda is opposite to the West Temple Pagoda.

How do you think it would feel?

It should be considered one of Kunming's landmarks. It looks good.

The historical and cultural landmark in the heart of old Kunming has quietly accompanied the city for many years and refused to be developed as a tourist destination.

The two pagodas were built during the Nanzhao era and have a history of over 1,100 years. The East Pagoda (Changle Temple Pagoda) is located on Shulin Street and was rebuilt during the Qing Dynasty. The West Pagoda (Huiguang Temple Pagoda) is also located on Dongsi Street. It was destroyed during the Qing Dynasty and rebuilt in 1984. The Twin Pagodas in the Mist and Rain was one of the eight scenic spots in Kunming during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Located south of the Golden Horse and Jade Rooster Archway, the pedestrian street runs between the East and West Pagodas, with the Jinli Building located in the middle.

They are the two towers south of the Jinma Biji Archway, one on each side of the Riyue Tower. There is nothing special about them.

There are two towers, one in the east and one in the west. The only thing I remember is that I bought a pack of Kuding tea "Green Mountains and Green Waters" at the bottom of the tower.

Because it's not "famous" or "typical," it's all the more worth visiting. It's just a detour on your journey, and you might even find yourself with some unexpected discoveries.

The core ancient buildings in the core area of Nanping Street - an important part of the historical and cultural city - you will regret it if you don’t go!

I came here with a tour group when I came to Kunming in 2005.

Kunming is my favorite city. I like Kunming very much.

It is very easy to confuse the various towers in Kunming. They all look very similar and there is nothing unique about them.

There are only two towers, one on the east side and the other on the west side, a few hundred meters apart. Just take a look.

It's all under repair. It's a pity that we can't climb the tower. There are few people on the pedestrian street.

At the beginning of the 21st century, a pedestrian street was newly built in the southern part of Kunming City, connecting the East Temple Pagoda on Shulin Street in the east and the West Temple Pagoda on East Temple Street in the west. The entire street is paved with stone slabs. On both sides of the street stand 26 stone sculptures, imitating the ones built in the last years of the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty (1847).

The guide tells me that these are two imprisoned towers. I thought they were unlocked, but they haven't...

The twin towers in the bustling city...

It's also hard to find. I've noticed that Kunming's road signs often have advertisements on them. The East and West Pagodas are actually very close to the city center, but the directions are confusing. It's worth a look, a typical example of Nanzhao culture architecture.

Located on Dongsi Street and Shulin Street respectively, the East and West Temple Pagodas of Kunming are historical relics and heritage sites, bearing witness to old Kunming. The pagodas are convex-shaped and beautifully carved.

My brother took me to Kunming in 2007.

There is a pedestrian street between the East and West Pagodas, with a group of sculptures on the street and some cultural product shops on both sides. This was my first stop on a tour group tour to Yunnan in July 2006, and it was here that I first felt the regional style of Kunming.

It is relatively close to the Golden Horse and Jade Rooster Archway, so you can visit it together.

Kunming's landmark ancient building, located in the city center, is the memory of old Kunming. There are many legends about the twin towers.

Originally built in the Tang Dynasty (829), it was rebuilt several times and is one of the few genuine historical sites that can be seen in Kunming today. Its form is very different from the towers in the Central Plains.

There are two towers left, one in the east and one in the west, facing each other. It's very close to the Golden Rooster Archway, so you can go and see it. It's a bit like the Three Pagodas in Dali, but much shorter. It's also quite old.

The commercial street in the middle has not opened yet and there are not many people.

The tower was fenced off and seemed to be undergoing renovations, so it could only be viewed from a distance.

Located in the heart of Kunming, this national cultural relic protection site has a long history and is a must-see for those who love historical relics.

The East and West Pagoda Temples are relatively close to each other and can be walked over. You cannot go inside the pagodas and can only view them from the outside. They are both located in a small park in the city. According to local people, you could go inside and view them in the past, but maybe because it is too old and the buildings need to be protected, you can’t go inside and view them now. There is a road between the East and West Pagoda Temples. It is a well-known and prosperous road with many delicious restaurants. I remember there is a restaurant called Yunnan Black Pig 20 minutes away. It was recommended by locals and it is really good. You can go and try the local dishes.

The densely eaves square tower is very beautiful. There is a garuda on the top. The two towers face each other, with Shulin Street in the middle.

The East and West Temple Pagodas are two Buddhist pagodas in the ancient city of Kunming, and they are quite old.

East and West Temple Pagodas at both ends of Runde Jade Museum Road

The East and West Pagodas are just behind the Golden Horse and Jade Rooster Square. When we arrived at the East Pagoda, the door was locked. It turned out that the visiting time had passed. Fortunately, there was an old master tending to the flowers and plants in the garden, so we put on a smile and successfully persuaded the master to open the door and let us in to take a look.

On the plaque inside the temple, I saw the name "Nanzhao" again. It also mentioned that the temple was also known as the Changle Temple Pagoda. Now, beneath the pagoda, a much smaller camellia garden, the East Temple Pagoda, has been built. As we were leaving, we asked the old craftsman if we could still climb the pagoda. He shook his head and said it was over 1,300 years old. The wooden stairs inside were completely rotten.

The East and West Temple Pagodas are also famous buildings in Kunming, carrying the old history of Kunming.

Kunming folk songs go: East Temple Street, West Temple Lane. The one on East Temple Street is the East Temple Pagoda, and the one in West Temple Lane is the West Temple Pagoda, which was first built during the Nanzhao period of the Tang Dynasty and is as famous as the Three Pagodas of Dali.

The East Temple Pagoda is located on Shulin Street in Kunming, and the West Temple Pagoda is also located on Dongsi Street in Kunming. Two temples once stood on the east and west sides of present-day Dongsi Street: the eastern one, called Changle Temple, and the western one, called Huiguang Temple. The East Temple Pagoda was originally located within Changle Temple and was named Changle Pagoda; the West Temple Pagoda was originally located within Huiguang Temple and was named Huiguang Temple Pagoda. Both were built by Wang Candian, the governor of Nongdong, Nanzhao, and the construction was supervised by the craftsman Yuchi Mutao. The East Temple Pagoda collapsed due to an earthquake during the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty. During reconstruction, the original foundation was considered weak and the pagoda was moved several hundred steps east to its current location. This explains why the East Temple Pagoda is located on Shulin Street instead of Dongsi Street. Both the East and West Temple Pagodas are 13-story brick towers with dense eaves. The East Temple Pagoda stands 40.53 meters tall, while the West Temple Pagoda stands 30 meters tall. Both have been renovated since their construction. According to relevant data, cultural relics authorities conducted measurements of the East and West Pagodas and discovered that the center of the East Pagoda's top tilts 52 centimeters southwest, while the West Pagoda's top also tilts 43 centimeters southwest. One theory regarding the tilt of the two ancient pagodas is that they were intentionally designed to align with the trade winds of Kunming, the southwesterly winds blowing from the Indian Ocean. Some believe the tilts were designed to withstand strong winds. While this theory is not documented in historical records, the presence of a flute in the mouth of a golden rooster atop the pagodas, which can sing long, windward sounds, seems to support the idea of using wind direction to build the pagodas. Another theory is that the foundations of the two pagodas were inherently unstable when they were first built, and that excessive groundwater extraction in the city caused the foundations to sink, leading to their tilt.

Although the East Temple Pagoda and the West Temple Pagoda are considered landmark buildings in Kunming, I knew nothing about this type of building and was not very interested in it. It was not until I came back that I learned that when you visit the pagodas at night, there will be bright lights lit inside, which is a beautiful sight. I don’t know if it is true, but those who are interested can go and see it.

I used to live near the West Temple Pagoda and could see it every day from upstairs. It is said that there is a historical legend about it and the East Temple Pagoda, but I completely forgot about it after hearing it once.

The West Temple Pagoda and the East Temple Pagoda are opposite each other, with the West Temple Pagoda on the west side of Dongsi Street and the East Temple Pagoda on the east side of Shulin Street. The East Temple Pagoda is better preserved.

The East Temple Pagoda is better preserved and managed than the West Temple Pagoda. The East Temple Pagoda is on the east side of Shulin Street, and the West Temple Pagoda is on the west side of East Temple Street. It is worth a visit.

The two towers of the East and West Pagoda Temples are so close that you can't tell them apart. It's okay to pass by, but forget it if you go there specifically. There's nothing to see.

It is located quietly in a corner of the city center, without many people paying attention to it or disturbing it. This is the East and West Pagodas.

The West Temple Pagoda was originally built within Huiguang Temple, commonly known as the West Temple. It is a square, dense-eaves, thirteen-story hollow brick tower. It stands 35.54 meters tall, with a three-story base, 2.38 meters high, and the lowest level 12.5 meters wide. A south-facing archway leads to the interior of the tower. A circular wooden staircase leads to the top. Each floor above the second floor features a Buddhist shrine or archway, each housing a seated red sandstone statue of a Bodhisattva. A bronze golden rooster is placed at each corner of the tower.

It's very interesting. The West Temple Pagoda is on the East Temple Street. There is also a park next to the East Temple Pagoda, which is closed on Mondays. Connecting the two towers is a commercial street with several time-honored snack shops that are worth a visit.

The West Temple Pagoda, more than half collapsed during the Ming earthquake, was later rebuilt to its original form, though the adjacent temples are long gone. The twin pagodas bear witness to Kunming's vicissitudes of history. I longed to find the legendary Sea Eye (also known as the Locking Dragon Well), but had no idea where it was. Later, searching online, I discovered it was housed in a later museum. I didn't get to see it in person this time, which was a real shame.

This tower is in downtown Kunming. It looks very beautiful when there is a little sunset, but it is not common.

Opposite the West Temple Pagoda, both pagodas were built during the Nanzhao period and have been renovated many times. In the past, the golden-winged bird on the pagoda would chirp, so it was also called the Golden Rooster Pagoda.

There's no entrance fee. The pagoda is remarkably well-preserved. While not as imposing as the Big Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an, it's still dignified and restrained. It just seems a bit out of place in this modern city.

I walked to the East and West Pagoda Temples and took a look. There was nothing there, just two pagodas. I suggest you don’t go to see them.

The East and West Pagoda Temples do not require tickets. They are located opposite each other in the east and west directions, but you cannot climb to the top of the towers, you can only take photos.

It's just two towers, nothing special. Located on the side of a street in the city. It looks quite old.

It is one of the oldest and best-preserved historical buildings in Kunming, and is in harmony with the surrounding historical buildings such as the Jinri Building.

What you see is not the two towers, but the square below the towers where there are always old people playing chess and chatting.

On Dongsi Street, I visited the East Temple Pagoda and the West Temple Pagoda. These two pagodas are beautifully shaped, with dense eaves, reminiscent of the Songyue Temple Pagoda, though certainly not as old. The shape of the towers' tops suggests a later construction, perhaps related to the mosque. I haven't verified this, but I just look at the similarities.

The temple and pagoda hidden among the trees were not easy to find. I had to look for the house numbers on each door. When I finally found the temple and pagoda, I felt a little sad at first sight. Under the sky split by high-voltage power lines, in the cracks of modern urban buildings, these two ancient buildings that have stood for thousands of years looked so old.

From the Golden Horse and Jade Rooster Archway, you can walk to the East Temple Pagoda and the West Temple Pagoda. As ancient towers left over from the Tang Dynasty, their cultural relic value should be high. However, my academic background is really mediocre. Apart from being able to see a little bit of their magnificence and antiquity, I really don't understand their exquisiteness.

The two towers complement each other, and in the middle is a famous snack street where you can enjoy delicious food.

The East and West Temple Pagodas are one of the oldest landmark buildings in old Kunming. Unlike some buildings that were renovated later,

It is precisely because of this that many people have a complex about it in their hearts.

In people’s eyes, its existence seems to have lost its original meaning. This is the loss of humanistic spirit.

The informatization of operations has forced these places to be fenced off.

These two ancient pagodas stand majestically, facing each other across the street. Remarkably well-preserved, they lack the grandeur of Xi'an's Big Wild Goose Pagoda, yet possess a dignified and restrained presence. Yet, they seem somewhat out of place in this modern metropolis. For millennia, they have gazed upon each other in solitude, their faces etched with the passage of time. They have witnessed the rise and fall of this city, and perhaps all that remains is a heart that watches over them.

East Temple Pagoda and West Temple Street, old Kunming people must know them all, this is culture...

On my way here, I saw the East and West Towers facing each other in the middle of Shulin Street. Due to the heavy rain, I didn't get a closer look, but I certainly couldn't miss them on my way back. The East Tower is older, a 13-story brick structure nestled in a courtyard. Its iron gates were locked, preventing entry. Between the two towers is a cobblestone street lined with shops, most of which haven't opened yet, likely due to recent renovations. Walking west, I see a tower with the words "Ri Jin Lou" (Daily Tower) inscribed on it. Below, there are several bronze statues. Further west, across the street, I reach the West Tower, located in a seemingly abandoned park. It's also 13 stories tall and very similar in appearance to the East Tower, though newer, as if recently renovated. Outside the park, there's a brief introduction to the pagoda. Named the West Temple Pagoda, also known as the Huiguang Temple Pagoda, it was first built in 829, the third year of Emperor Wenzong's Taihe reign, during the Nanzhao period. It was subsequently destroyed and rebuilt repeatedly, and the one we see today is the result of a renovation in the mid-1980s. Opposite it, the East Temple Pagoda, also built in 840 AD during the Nanzhao period, was destroyed by an earthquake and rebuilt in 868. It's where "Twin Pagodas in Misty Rain," one of the "Eight Scenic Spots of Kunming" during the Ming and Qing dynasties, is depicted. The two pagodas have stood facing each other for over a thousand years, witnessing Kunming's rise and fall through the ages. Today, standing amidst the modern concrete buildings, their ancient simplicity and robustness are even more striking, creating a striking contrast with the surrounding architecture.

The East and West Pagoda Temples, built in the Tang Dynasty, may still have some architectural significance. There is now a snack street between the two temples, which is quite lively.

Kunming's most iconic building, the East and West Towers form a straight line! There are also many snacks around!