Jiaozuo | Henan's Premier Golden Pagoda: The Three Sages Pagoda of Tianning Temple.

A key destination on this trip, the Three Sages Pagoda was first built in the 11th year of the Dading era of the Jin dynasty, on the site of a former Tang dynasty wooden pavilion. It is now a national key protected cultural relic and the foremost of the three great golden pagodas of Henan. The pagoda stands 32.76m tall and consists of a base, a body, and a spire. It is a brick pagoda with closely spaced, overlapping eaves. The entire tower utilizes 11 types of prefabricated bricks. The internal passageways and lighting design are rational and scientific. The pagoda's body is simple and dignified, with historical traces readily apparent. The Three Sages Pagoda is located within the Qinyang Museum, which also displays other cultural relics, including the Huaiqing Dharani Sutra Pillar (a fine example of a Tang dynasty stone-carved sutra pillar) and stone carvings such as the Prince of Binguo Pagoda (Yuan dynasty). The museum is free to visit and closed on Mondays. Note that it is closed from 11:30–14:30 (15:00 in summer). A visit of 1–2 hours is recommended.