Five Pagoda Temple (Wuta Si)

The Five Pagoda Temple (五塔寺, Wuta Si), built in 1732 under the Qianlong Emperor, is one of the more unusual Buddhist structures in northern China. The centrepiece is a Diamond Throne Pagoda — a squat, solid platform surmounted by five small pagodas of different heights, the central one taller and flanked by four corner pavilions. The concept derives from the Diamond Throne Pagoda tradition of north Indian Buddhist architecture, which was transmitted to China via Tibet.

The walls of the main structure are covered with intricate carved relief panels depicting Buddhist figures, mandalas, and the Mongolian script star map on the rear face. The quality of the stone carving is exceptional — individual figures are rendered with a precision that rewards close examination. The complex around the pagoda has been turned into a small park and is quieter and less visited than Dazhao, making it an ideal follow-on to the larger temple. Entry fee is modest; the site is within easy walking distance of Dazhao.

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The base of the Diamond Throne Pagoda at Wuta Si carries a remarkable engraved star map in Mongolian script — one of the very few surviving examples of astronomical charts written in Mongolian. The map, dating from the 18th century, depicts the constellations as understood in the Mongolian astronomical tradition, which was adapted from Tibetan and ultimately Indian sources. It is almost certainly the most unusual piece of astronomical heritage in northern China, and it receives nowhere near the attention it deserves.

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