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White Horse Pagoda

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The White Horse Pagoda stands towering into the sky at the southeast corner of the ancient city Shazhou. The nine-storied pagoda with a height of 12 meters is a uniquely shaped spectacular architecture that has impressed many at all times.

The octagonal column is decorated with delicate lotus petals at the center and iron horses at the corners. Perhaps it is the clever design that when being breezed, the iron horses tinkle clearly and melodiously. Based upon reports from archeological investigation, the carved lettering on the stones and the wooden board in the middle layer of the pagoda recorded the history of the White Horse Pagoda. It was built in the Qing Dynasty and had been renovated multiple times throughout the years.
The legend begins like this: once upon a time a Turkestan monk Kumarajiva was trying to cross the desert riding on a white horse. The condition in the gobi was extremely perilous; the white horse was so loyal that it saved the monk many times throughout their journey and eventually sacrificed its life for his master. Kumarajiva was devastated with the loss of his beloved horse. Thus he called together the local Buddhists for fundraising and they used the money to construct the White Horse Pagoda to honor the white horse.

Location:

 White Horse Dagoba (Bai Ma Ta), located in the south of the ancient Dunhuang city of the west suburb, is 2 kilometers from the downtown.

Ticket Price:

15 Yuan

Opening Time:

From 8:00 to 18:00

How to get there:

You can go by taxi, by bike or on foot, for it is just a kilometer away from the downtown. 

Tips:

Pay more attention to the dry weather and the great day-night temperature difference.