Five-Pagoda
Temple (Wuta Si)
 The
Five Pagoda Temple (Wuta si), located in
the southern section of town, is a miniature
temple built in Indian style, so named for
the five four-sided pagodas that jut up
from the rectangular base of the building.
This is a pretty temple that is worth taking
time out to visit, especially if you are
in the vicinity of this older section of
town.
Originally the temple was used
by followers and monks as a stuppa for relics
and was, up until the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911
AD), a part of a larger complex, the Ci
Deng Temple (Ci deng si). This has now all
but disappeared and nowadays the temple
is surrounded by a large, dusty, concrete
yard, and a number of small shops selling
postcards, incense and various Buddhist
oddities.
The structure itself rises to
a height of 16 meters and is of a glazed
brick finish, covered with over 1000 hand
carved Buddhas and Mongolian, Tibetan &
Sanskrit script. You can climb to the top
of the base to get a look at the pagodas
themselves, or head to the back of the building
where a carved screen includes a rare Mongolian
astronomical map, marking hundreds of stars
(the only of its kind in the world).
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