This is a 44-metre high, octagonal, brick pagoda. It is a protected national relic, the symbol of Yan’an, and located on the top of Baota Hill (Pagoda Hill), which is 1136 metres in height and overlooks Yan'an City. Similar to many pagodas in China, it is illuminated in the evening. President Xi Jinping has referred to Baota Mountain as the symbol of the Chinese Communist revolution. The pagoda was originally built during the Tang Dynasty (618 to 907), and rebuilt during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). An inexpensive way to get to the pagoda is by bus # 1 or #3. They can be boarded at Yan'an Railway Station, or anywhere along their routes. There is a 65 rmb admission fee to tour the pagoda.

This is just another pagoda. It is the only thing you have to pay for in Yan'an but it is the only thing that you shouldn't pay for. They charge you once to get in, again for the trolley bus, and again if you want to actually go into the pagoda... then again for the trolley bus out. Mediocre views of an unspectacular town is little consolation for the time and the money you will waste.