The pagodas are located in Mangshi City in the Dai-Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture of Dehong, Yunnan Province. There are two explanations for the shape and structure of these pagodas: One says that the seeds of banyan trees happened to fall on the pagodas. They sprouted and grew into big trees, holding the pagodas with their roots; the other says that the builders of these pagodas cleverly constructed them between the roots and branches of banyan trees, making the pagodas and trees an integrated whole. So far no one can tell which of the two explanations is correct.
Shubao Pagodas are Buddhist (Lesser Vehicle Sect) buildings. The entire structure consists of a big platform base at the bottom, four small pagodas standing on the base, and four peculiarly-shaped lions between every two small pagodas, featuring the distinctive style of Buddhist pagodas of Burma and Thailand, together with the local colour of Yunnan border areas.
