A Hundred-and-Eight Pagodas are located on the east slope of Xiakou Mountain on the west banks of the Yellow River in Qingtongxia City, the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.
Although the exact year of construction of the grouped pagodas is unknown, some believe they were built during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).
Leaning on mountains close to the waterside, the pagodas are located on a precipitous slope sitting in the west and facing east. They were constructed following the curve of the mountains into 12 rows to form an equilateral triangle. Each row contains an odd number of pagoda(s) starting from the top. All 108 pagodas were erected on an octagonalSumeru base with a solid, overturned bowl shape. They are covered with lime with a pearl-shaped top, resembling that of the white pagoda of the Yuan Dynasty at the Beijing Miaoying Temple. The top pagoda is the largest one, and others diminish in size, layer by layer. From a distance, a full view of the entire group of pagodas can be achieved. Such a pagoda group is unique in terms of Chinese architecture. The number 108 probably refers to the 108 dharma bodies recorded in theVajrashekhara Sutra.
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