Standing on the Wenbi Peak half a kilometre west of the county town of Dayao in Yunnan Province, the White Pagoda with inscriptions and incantations carved all over its walls is unique. According to historical records of Yunnan Province, the pagoda was first built in the Tang Dynasty and underwent repairs in 1872 during the Qing Dynasty and again in 1975.
Dayao Pagoda consists of three parts: an octagonal base with each side measuring 3.12 metres long, its main portion in the shape of an octagonal prism and a circular-cone-shaped top. It is a hollow brick structure. The walls of this eighteen-metre-high pagoda are covered by inscriptions and incantations carved in Chinese and Sanskrit. It is named White Pagoda because the entire building is painted with lime. It is also called Inverted Bell Pagoda since its upper part is bigger than its base.
