Manfeilong Pagoda

The Manfeilong Pagoda is a group of stupas located on the top of the mountain in Manfeilong Village of Xishuangbanna. Seen from a far distance, it looks like a white bottle gourd and bamboo shoots towering high into the sky, thus getting another two name “Bamboo Shoot Tower” and the “White Tower”. Famous for its unique architectural style, it is regarded as one of the most attractive destinations in Yunnan Province.

If you want to come to the Manfeilong Pagoda, you have to go across the river and more than 200 stone steps along the Manfeilong Village. The beautiful landscape including boundless virgin forest and an exuberant Hurst of rubber which may catch your eyes.

When you get to the top of the mountain, you will find the pagoda, which is made up of 9 stupas, with the main stupa in the center and other 8 smaller stupas clustering surrounding it. The main pagoda is about 16.29 m. (53.44 ft.) high and the other 8 pagodas are much shorter like 8 small children nestling with their mother.

In each stupa, there is a niche where a Buddhist statue is laid and bells are hanging at the top of the pagoda which will make beautiful tinkles in the breezes.

If you go south for about 3.5 km. (2.1 mi.), you will find another beautiful architectural building famous as the Black Pagoda, which is about 18 m. (59 ft.) high with seven tiers. The pagoda got its name because it is originally black, but through so many years’ vicissitude, it is now a little silvery in color. It seems to be a high gourd standing on the ground and was regarded as a place for worshiping the Sakyamuni.

If you come here, you many also find a big foot print below one of the stupas and in a niche which was left by Sakyamuni, the fore father of the Buddhist religion. Nowadays the Manfeilong Pagoda is regarded as a religious site and a national key cultural relic preservation site. 

If you are in Xishuangbanna, don’t forget to come here and have a look. The entrance fee is 5 RMB and you can only take a bus from the downtown directly there.