Introduction

Located in Baimata Village in Danghe Town of Dunhuang, the Pagoda was built in the 4th century in memory of a loyal white horse owned by Kumarajiva according to one of the many beliefs that the locals have. Kumarajiva was a great Buddhist who was going to visit Fu Jian after an invitation to expand buddhism so he took his horse and went riding but when he reached Dunhuang his horse passed on. He was very heart broken that he felt the need to appreciate the great service the horse had given him so him and other local Buddhists raised money and built the structure.

Another legend about the pagoda is that there was this other famous monk, Xuan Jiang who was travel through Dunhuang with his white horse but then they fell into a trap set by bad spirits then his horse sacrificed his life for the monk who was his master.

The Pagoda was constructed with bricks on the inner side and then covered with lime on the outside. It stands at a height of 12 meters and a width of 7 meters. Its nine floors represented how old the horse was and each level has a distinct shape. The second, third and fourth levels generally have the same shape with folding corners, the fifth adapts a white hobnail shape with dots and upturned lotus shaped patterns. The sixth level looks like an inverted bowl, the seventh is in the shape of a dharma wheel, the eighth takes a hexagonal shape with a wind bell surrounding each side while the ninth takes the shape of a spear with three metal balls surmounted by a trident. The structure of the pagoda remains in good shape because it has been rebuilt more than once in every dynasty that ruled.

Major attractions and activities to do on a visit

A tour to the location not only gives you the opportunity to see the spectacular Pagoda but also relieves the long history of Buddhism where you can pay homage to the monks who built the structure and had given their life spreading Buddhism.