The White Pagoda of Dayao

The White Pagoda of Dayao stands on the top of Baofa Hill outside the west city gate of Dayao County, Yunnan Province.

With a total height of 18.4 metres, the pagoda has a conical top and a constricted middle section. It is broad above and narrow below, shaped like a chime mallet, hence its alternative name the Chime-Mallet Pagoda. The structure consists of three tiers. The above-ground foundation is an octagonal Sumeru base. The entire body of the pagoda was plastered white with lime, giving it the name White Pagoda. First erected in 746 AD, it is one of China’s surviving Tang Dynasty buildings. According to legend, it was constructed by the Tibetans during the Tianbao reign of the Tang Dynasty. The pagoda has withstood multiple earthquakes throughout history and remained intact. In 1982, the provincial government allocated funds for renovation to restore its original appearance. This is the only pagoda of its kind in Yunnan, serving as a physical example of early Buddhist relic stupas in the province. It was designated one of the first batch of provincial-level key cultural relic protection units.

During maintenance work in 1975, a square hole with sides measuring 40 centimetres was discovered at the top of the pagoda. It was most likely the socket for the central pillar that supported the spire. The original eight-sided pillar had an openwork niche housing a Buddha statue on each face, which was later filled in during structural reinforcement. Evidence shows that the Chime-Mallet Pagoda originally featured a tall spire and multiple niches ensuring good ventilation; its current shape differs slightly from the ancient form. Experts have identified it as a Tibetan Lamaist stupa, a relic left behind when Esoteric Buddhism spread across western Yunnan. Bricks stamped with Sanskrit and Chinese characters were unearthed from the top during repairs. The Chinese inscriptions include Maha Buddha Crest, Mantra of Purifying Radiance, and Spirit Stupa Mantra for Inviting Buddhas from All Directions. Earlier excavations also uncovered bricks marked with the inscription "Supervised Construction by Yuchi". The Dayao County Annals compiled in the Daoguang reign records that the pagoda was "built by Tibetans in the Tianbao period". Based on these records, the stupa was most likely erected in the mid-Tang Dynasty, when relations between the Nanzhao Kingdom and Tibet remained friendly.

The unique architectural form and long history of the Dayao White Pagoda make it irreplaceable for the research of Tibetan Buddhism in southwest China. Its special structural design shares an inherent structural consistency with the core doctrines of Tibetan Buddhism. Originally, a towering spire rose into the sky from the top, adding a strong mystical aura, yet the spire has long been destroyed. The upper part of the pagoda forms a large cone, resting firmly on an octagonal blue-brick base sturdy enough to bear the weight above. Each side of the octagonal base is 3.12 metres long. Twelve layers of dense eaves are stacked along the exterior. Though the tapering shape looks peculiar, the full white lime plaster lends it a simple and approachable look, which gave rise to the popular name "White Pagoda".

Loose ancient bricks have been unearthed repeatedly near the pagoda. They bear stamped Chinese and Sanskrit texts. The Chinese inscriptions read: Maha Buddha Crest, Mantra of the Eight Great Spirit Stupas, Stupa Protection Mantra of Buddhas from All Quarters, Spirit Stupa Mantra of Buddhas from All Quarters, Mantra against Theft for the Valley Stupa, Merit-accumulating Dharma Mantra for the Valley, Karma Extinction Mantra of Aksobhya Buddha, and "Supervised Construction by Yuchi". The Sanskrit texts carry roughly the same religious meaning.

Standing alone beneath blue skies and white clouds, the Dayao White Pagoda has endured countless earthquakes and wars, standing firm against both natural and man-made destruction. Severe earthquakes struck Dayao in 1504 (the 17th year of the Hongzhi reign of the Ming Dynasty) and 1636 (the 9th year of the Chongzhen reign), cracking the top by more than three chi. Generations of local gentry and officials carried out successive repairs. In 1872 (the 11th year of the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty), the magistrate of Dayao ordered major restoration work, adding new bricks to the foundation and leaving an inscription: "Renovated by Kang Chong, Magistrate of Dayao, in the Renshen year of the Tongzhi reign".

On May 25, 2006, the Dayao White Pagoda, as an ancient Tang structure, was approved by the State Council and included in the sixth batch of national key cultural relic protection units.