Jing'en Pagoda in Menghun

Jing'en Pagoda in Menghun

Jing'en Pagoda in Menghun is a cultural tourism attraction.

Jing'en Pagoda is called "Ta Jing'en" in the Dai language, named after being built on "Guangjing'en" Mountain. This pagoda is the central Buddhist pagoda of the Menghai area. According to the pagoda’s inscriptions: originally a single pagoda, it was repaired three times—in Dai Year 141 (779 AD, Tang Dynasty), Dai Year 1133 (1771 AD, Qing Dynasty), and Dai Year 1139 (1777 AD). Later, during a renovation in Dai Year 1315 (1953 AD), four smaller pagodas were added. In later years, it was demolished for various reasons, but was rebuilt and restored to its original appearance in 1983.

The pagoda is built with brick and stone, featuring an octagonal Vajrasana-style clustered design, composed of nine pagodas of varying sizes. The base is a square with sides 17 meters long, and the main tower stands 17.2 meters high, while the surrounding smaller towers are each 6 meters tall. The pagodas have faceted, polygonal bead-like shapes, with octagonal, cross-shaped Sumeru pedestals. The bodies and bases of the pagodas are adorned with floral patterns and vivid dragon designs. The spires consist of vases, finials, canopies, and wind bells. The entire structure is majestic and spectacular, with exquisite coloring, making it an architectural work of both artistic value and strong ethnic character. It has been listed as a county-level cultural heritage protection unit.