Hohhot Five Pagoda Temple Travel Guide

Scenic spot introduction:

The Five Pagoda Temple in Hohhot is the earliest of the five existing Vajra-seat relic pagodas in China. It is named "Five Pagodas" because there are five square relic pagodas on the pagoda base. The pagoda was built during the Yongzheng period of the Qing Dynasty. It is 16.5 meters high and made of glazed bricks. On the lower floor of the pagoda are the Vajra Sutras inscribed in Mongolian, Tibetan and Sanskrit languages, and on the upper floor are thousands of Buddha niches. The 1,119 gilt Buddhas are exquisitely carved and have a peaceful expression, which is spectacular.

Attractions distribution:

The Vajra Seat Relic Pagoda in the Five Pagoda Temple was originally an important building in Cideng Temple. After Cideng Temple declined, the pagoda became the only building in the temple. In order to recreate the grand religious scene in Hohhot, in 2005 the city government restored the overall temple building based on the original site of the temple based on archaeological excavations, historical documents, old photos and other materials. The restored Cideng Temple is laid out as a Vajra Realm mandala, with a total of three courtyards. In the temple, there are the Vajrasattva Hall, the Great Sun Tathagata Hall, the Zhaomiao Cultural Center and the Vajra Seat Relic Pagoda, among which the Relic Pagoda can be said to be the essence of the whole temple. The entire pagoda consists of a base, a diamond base and five exquisite pagodas on the top. The pagoda body has harmonious proportions and a graceful and solemn shape. On the gable behind the tower base, there are three circular stone carvings inlaid, namely the Mongolian astronomical map, the distribution map of Mount Sumeru and the six-path reincarnation map. Among them, the Mongolian astronomical map is the most precious, and it is the only one in the world so far. This astronomical map annotated in Mongolian has extremely high scientific research value and is of great significance to the study of ancient Chinese astronomy.

Scenic spot qualifications:

National 3A-level scenic spot, national key cultural relics protection unit, and patriotism education base

Scenic spot features:

Buddhism, architecture, Mongolian stone carvings, religion, temples