Lijiang’s Most Famous Pagodas & Their Meanings

The name Lijiang conjures images of a timeless maze: cobblestone lanes, murmuring canals, and Naxi dwellings with their iconic flower-bedecked courtyards. Travelers flock to the UNESCO-listed Old Town for its romantic atmosphere and vibrant cultural tapestry. Yet, to understand the soul of this region—a historic crossroads of the Tibetan Plateau and the Yunnan lowlands—one must look upward, to the silhouettes that punctuate the skyline against the mighty Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. These are Lijiang's pagodas, not merely architectural ornaments but profound symbols woven into the landscape, holding the keys to the spiritual and historical narrative of the land of the Naxi.

While the bustling streets below are a hotspot for souvenir shopping and café culture, the pagodas offer a different kind of tourism hotspot: a trending pursuit of mindful travel and cultural depth. They are the ultimate "instagrammable" spots, not just for their beauty, but for the stories they tell, representing a shift from superficial sightseeing to meaningful engagement. Let's embark on a journey to these serene sentinels.

Wenfeng Pagoda: The Scholar's Pillar of the Lijiang Basin

Perched on a hill southwest of Lijiang Old Town, the Wenfeng Pagoda is a destination that rewards the slightly adventurous traveler. Its name, translating to "Literary Peak Pagoda," immediately signals its purpose. This thirteen-tiered hexagonal pagoda, built during the Qing Dynasty, is a classic example of a fengshui pagoda, or a "wenchang ta."

A Monument to Cosmic and Scholarly Harmony

In Chinese geomancy, the landscape is a living body of energy (qi). The Naxi and Han planners of old Lijiang believed the local topography, while beautiful, lacked a certain "pinnacle" in the southwest—a direction associated with scholarship and the trigram Kun (earth). The Wenfeng Pagoda was erected to correct this, to serve as a symbolic "literary brush" reaching into the heavens. Its function was to nurture scholarly qi, ensuring the region would produce talented individuals, scholars, and officials. For modern visitors, it’s a breathtaking viewpoint, but its original meaning transforms it from a simple tower into a testament to a worldview where human intellect is supported by the deliberate, sacred shaping of the environment.

The hike to Wenfeng Pagoda is itself part of the experience, passing through the quiet village of Zhiyun. Reaching the top, one is greeted with a panoramic vista of the entire Lijiang Basin, the Old Town a grey-tiled sea, all framed by the eternal snows of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. It’s a powerful perspective, literally and metaphorically, on how the people here positioned their civilization within nature's grandeur.

Black Dragon Pool's Five Phoenix Pagoda: A Postcard with a Purpose

No visit to Lijiang is complete without a photograph of the Five Phoenix Pagoda (Wufeng Lou) reflected in the crystalline waters of the Black Dragon Pool (Heilongtan), with the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain as a backdrop. This is arguably one of the most iconic images in all of Chinese tourism. But this elegant structure is more than a photogenic prop.

Architectural Fusion and Naxi Identity

Unlike the austere, vertical Wenfeng Pagoda, the Five Phoenix Pagoda is a pavilion-style structure, originally part of the nearby Fuguo Temple. Its name comes from its distinctive multi-eaved roof, which from certain angles resembles five phoenixes about to take flight. The architecture is a beautiful fusion of Han, Tibetan, and Naxi styles—a physical manifestation of Lijiang's cultural crossroads. The incorporation of Naxi motifs and building techniques makes it a unique symbol of local identity rather than an imported form.

The pagoda’s setting within the Black Dragon Pool park is deeply symbolic. The pool is a sacred water source, and the pagoda, alongside the Moon-Embracing Pavilion, creates a scene of perfect harmony—water, architecture, and mountain in a single, serene composition. It represents the ideal balance between human creation and the natural world, a core tenet of both Naxi Dongba philosophy and traditional Chinese thought. For travelers, it’s a masterclass in landscape design where every element is intentional and meaningful.

The Fuguo Temple Pagodas: Guardians of a Forgotten Sanctuary

A short distance from the hustle of the Old Town, the Fuguo Temple complex offers a more secluded pagoda experience. This 17th-century temple, once the largest Buddhist monastery in the region, is home to a series of lesser-known but deeply significant pagodas.

White Sand Murals and Tibetan Buddhist Legacy

The pagodas and temples here are steeped in the history of Tibetan Buddhism's influence in Lijiang. The most striking feature is the "White Sand Murals" within the main halls, which famously blend Han Buddhist, Tibetan Buddhist, and Taoist iconography—a rarity in religious art. The pagodas on the grounds, including a central white stupa, are classic Tibetan-style chörtens.

These chörtens are not for climbing but for circumambulation. Their solid, layered forms represent the Buddha's mind, with specific components symbolizing the five elements (earth, water, fire, air, space). They act as reliquaries and focal points for meditation. For tourists, Fuguo Temple provides a quieter, more authentic glimpse into the region's syncretic religious past, far from the commercialized core. It’s a hotspot for those seeking "off-the-beaten-path" spiritual heritage.

Shigu's Iron Chain Pagoda: Where History Ran Red

Venturing further afield to the First Bend of the Yangtze River at Shigu (Stone Drum), one encounters a pagoda with a dramatically different meaning. Here, the Iron Chain Pagoda (Tiesuo Ta) stands not for scholarship or spiritual balance, but as a solemn memorial to a pivotal moment in history.

Commemorating a Revolutionary Crossing

In April 1936, during the epic Long March, the Red Army under He Long arrived at the turbulent Jinsha River (Yangtze) at Shigu. Facing relentless pursuit, they executed a daring crossing using a local ferry and, legend has it, a chain stretched across the river. Their successful crossing here was a strategic miracle that saved the corps. The pagoda, built later, commemorates this event. It is a modern revolutionary monument in a traditional form.

For Chinese domestic tourists, this site is a major "red tourism" destination, connecting them to a foundational narrative of modern China. For international visitors, it adds a crucial 20th-century layer to Lijiang's ancient history, showing how these structures continue to be used to anchor collective memory. The view from the pagoda over the river's dramatic hairpin turn is a staggering natural spectacle, forever linked to this tale of human struggle and triumph.

Pagodas as Living Travel Hotspots: From Pilgrimage to Photography

Today, these pagodas are integrated into the modern travel experience in multifaceted ways. They are central to cultural tours that delve into Naxi Dongba culture and Tibetan Buddhism. Photography workshops schedule entire sessions around the light on the Five Phoenix Pagoda at dawn. Hiking trails link sites like Wenfeng Pagoda with nearby villages, promoting eco-tourism.

The "pagoda view" has become a premium commodity. Rooftop bars and boutique hotels in the Old Town market themselves on their sightlines to these structures. Artisans create silver jewelry and wood carvings inspired by their shapes. In this sense, the pagodas are not frozen relics; they are active generators of cultural capital and contemporary travel trends.

Their silent presence continues to organize the space and spirit of Lijiang. They remind us that this land was never just a pretty old town, but a carefully composed realm where mountains were deities, water was life, and pagodas were the pins holding the cosmic and the earthly together. To seek them out is to move beyond the souvenir shops and into the enduring story of a place that has long known how to build its aspirations into the horizon.