The East and West Pagodas of Kunming are the oldest existing ancient buildings in Kunming!

Kunming is a national historical and cultural city with many ancient relics. The two pagodas of the East and West Temples, built during the Nanzhao period of the Tang Dynasty, are considered treasures of Kunming by the locals. On the east and west sides of today's Dongsi Street, there were once two temples, Changle Temple in the east and Huiguang Temple in the west. The East Pagoda was originally located in Changle Temple and was called Changle Pagoda, while the West Pagoda was originally located in Huiguang Temple and was called Huiguang Temple. Both were built by Wang Cuodian, the Nanzhao military governor, and constructed by the craftsman Wei Chimu Tao. The West Pagoda is located on Dongsi Street and is slightly smaller than the East Pagoda, standing at 36 meters tall with a base length of 6.95 meters and a wall thickness of 2.5 meters. Kunming has been prone to earthquakes since ancient times. In the 12th year of the Hongzhi reign of the Ming Dynasty (1499), an earthquake caused the West Pagoda to collapse halfway. It was rebuilt in the 16th year (1503) in the style of the East Pagoda. It was repaired again from the 6th to the 12th year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1667–1673). In the 13th year of the Daoguang reign (1833), an earthquake destroyed the pagoda's finial and caused the pagoda to tilt. In the 6th year of the Xianfeng reign (1856), Huiguang Temple was destroyed by war. The West Pagoda was repaired from November 1983 to September 1984. The East Pagoda is located on Shulin Street in a small park. It stands at 40.57 meters tall with 13 floors, a square three-level stone platform, a dense-eave hollow square brick pagoda, a floor plan with a side length of 7.23 meters, and a wall thickness of 2.7 meters. The first floor is the tallest at 10 meters, with a 1.5-meter-deep underground palace below, which originally housed a wooden seated Buddha statue that has since been lost. From the 2nd to the 12th floor, there are niches on all four sides, each containing a stone Buddha statue. In the 13th year of the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty (1833), an earthquake completely destroyed the East Pagoda. In the 6th year of the Xianfeng reign (1856), Changle Temple was also destroyed by war. The East Pagoda was rebuilt from the 9th to the 13th year of the Guangxu reign (1883–1887), "due to the low and thin foundation, it was moved several hundred steps eastward" and rebuilt in the style of the West Pagoda. The pagoda's design still retains the architectural style of the Tang Dynasty, with a similar form and structure to the Qianxun Pagoda of Chongsheng Temple and the Hongsheng Temple Pagoda in Dali. The four corners of the pagoda's finial are adorned with copper "golden roosters," each over 1 meter tall, with copper pipes in their beaks and metal reeds inside. The heads, necks, and chests of the golden roosters are hollow. It is said that in the past, when strong winds blew, the air would enter through the copper pipes, causing the metal reeds to vibrate, and the golden roosters would "crow" in the wind, showcasing the intelligence and ingenuity of ancient craftsmen. Over time, dust accumulated, and the golden roosters fell silent, but they still stand atop the pagoda, adding to its charm and uniqueness. In the early 21st century, a pedestrian street was built in the southern part of Kunming's urban area, connecting Shulin Street's East Pagoda in the east and Dongsi Street's West Pagoda in the west. The entire street is paved with stone slabs. On both sides of the street stand 26 stone-carved street lamps modeled after those from the Dingmao year of the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty (1847). The eastern section of the street features bronze sculptures such as "Horseman," "Night Watchman," "Bowl Mender," "Egg Seller," and "Chess Players." In the middle of the street, a replica of the ancient Jinzhi Building was constructed. The original Jinzhi Building was located at the southern end of Zhengyi Road and served as the southern gate tower of the Ming Dynasty brick city, but it has since been demolished.