Hohhot Five Pagoda Temple

CHINA, Inner Mongolia, Hohhot

It was built in 1727 during the Qing dynasty. The temple has been destroyed and only the pagoda is left. There are 1,663 Wisdom Buddhas on the body of the pagoda, thus it is also known as the Thousand Buddhas Pagoda. It was listed as a National Cultural Heritage Site in 1988.
The pagoda is 16.5 m high and consists of a base platform, a base, a diamond throne, and five square pagodas at the top. The base platform is made of brick. The base is a representation of a Sumeru throne, whose concave sections have carvings of Dharma wheels, vajras and animals ridden by the Five Dhyani Buddhas, like the lion, elephant, horse, peacock, and garuda. The diamond throne has seven layers with the Five Dhyani Buddhas and between each layer there are short glazed eaves. Inside the pagoda, at the sides, there is a spiral stone staircase which leads to the top of the pagoda. At the exit, there is a small pavilion with a square pyramidal roof.
There is a square seven-tier pagoda in the center of the flat roof and smaller five-tier pagodas at the corners. All the pagoda bodies are carved with the Five Dhyani Buddhas. There are miniature stupas on top of the pagodas. At the rear of the pagoda there are three stone carvings depicting Mount Sumeru, the Six Realms of Existence, and astronomical diagrams.