The Cultural Tourism Zone of Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, which is located 3 km from Dali old town, is worth its reputation of Resort of Mt.

Lingjiu with its mountains and streams nearby and the tranquil environment. The construction of Chongsheng Temple was initiated during Kaiyuan Period of Tang Dynasty (713AD to 741AD) and reached its peak in the Period of Kingdom of Dali during Song Dynasty after generations of extension. According to Unofficial History of Kingdom of Nanzhao, Chongsheng Temple “covered 7 miles with its 890 halls in which there were 11,400 statues of Buddha cast with 45,550 Hu of copper”. It boasted to have “3 pavilions,7 storied buildings and 9 halls with a hundred chambers”, which made it for a time the well-known royal monastery and political and educational center during the Kingdom of Dali of Nanzhao with the good reputation of “the Capital of Buddhism”.

The magnificent Chongsheng Temple is also famous as Tianlong Temple in The Semi-gods and Semi-evils written by Jin Yong. However, through vicissitudes during the years, it declined and was finally ruined during the late Qing Dynasty with only the three pagodas left.