Chengtian Temple Pagoda (West Pagoda)
承天寺塔
A 64.5-meter brick pagoda built in the Western Xia period. It is the tallest ancient pagoda in Ningxia, offers views over old Yinchuan from the top, and the temple grounds house a Ningxia cultural relics exhibition.
Chengtian Temple Pagoda is on Jinning South Street in Xingqing District. It is commonly known as the West Pagoda and corresponds to the Haibao Pagoda (North Pagoda) to the east. Chengtian Temple was built in 1050 during the Tianyou Chuisheng era of the Western Xia. Empress Dowager Mocang built it to pray for the young emperor Li Liangzuo. The pagoda is an 11-story octagonal brick pagoda with a pavilion-style design, 64.5 meters high. It was damaged by an earthquake, and the current structure was rebuilt on the same site during the Jiaqing reign of the Qing dynasty, retaining its Western Xia form. It is the tallest surviving ancient pagoda in Ningxia and a national key cultural relic protection unit. Visitors can climb to the top floor (the 11th) by a steep, narrow wooden staircase inside the tower. From the archways of each floor, you can look out over old Yinchuan and the distant Helan Mountain, making it one of the few high viewpoints in the city. The brick body is plain and elegant, and the top has a green glazed peach-shaped finial. The temple halls now house a Ningxia cultural relics exhibition, with Western Xia artifacts, Buddhist sculptures, and stone inscriptions, along with an ancient locust tree. Admission is about 20 yuan, with a separate capacity limit for climbing the pagoda. A visit takes about 45 to 60 minutes. Getting there: walk from the city center or take a bus to the Chengtian Temple stop, about 1.5 kilometers from the Drum Tower. Note that the staircase is steep and dim, so older visitors and children should take care. Those who fear heights can view only the ground floor. Flash photography is prohibited inside, and it is cold inside in winter. It can be combined with Yuhuang Pavilion, Nanguan Great Mosque, and the Drum Tower on an old-town walking route.
Opening hours
08:30–17:30
Nearby sights
- Yuhuang Pavilion & Drum Tower
- Nanguan Great Mosque
- Haibao Pagoda
- Ningxia Museum
- Yuehai National Wetland Park
- Mingcui Lake National Wetland Park
- China Hui Culture Park
- Museum of Contemporary Art Yinchuan