Pagodas of Tanken

Pagodas of Tanken
Танкенсанда 單墾三塔
The three Pagodas of Tanken (from left to right): Pagoda of Vanho, Pagoda of Nushen and Pagoda of Yenfang
Religion
District	East Nozama
Prefecture	Nanhu
Location
Location	Tanken, East Nozama
Prefecture	Nanhu

The Pagodas of Tanken (Танкенсанда, 單墾三塔) are pagodas situated in the town of Tanken in Nanhu Prefecture, East Nozama, directly south of Tanken Lake. The pagodas are temples dedicated to the Three Sister-Goddesses - Nushen, Vanho and Yenfang. According to some, they are located in the exact location where the Sister-Goddesses had been raised to become warriors. As such, they are one of the holiest places in Namorese folk religion and are visited by pilgrims and tourists alike each year.

The pagodas serve as the landmark of Tanken and are designated as a protected site by the Namorese government.

History

Construction

Shenti, the founder of the Kannei Dynasty who is widely considered Namor's first emperor, ordered the construction of the pagodas shortly after the unification of Namor in NMR 0. By building temples dedicated to Nushen and her two sisters, Shenti hoped to portray himself as the heir of Nushen's queendom, thereby cementing his own legitimacy. Construction lasted for ten years before the temples were finally completed. After their completion, the pagodas are said to have been visited by every Namorese ruler.

Desecrations

The Pagodas of Tanken have been desecrated multiple times in Namorese history. Every individual who oversaw the destruction or damage of the pagodas faced misfortunes afterwards, leading to the popular belief that the pagodas are protected by the threat of heavenly retribution against those who damage them.

The first known desecration of the pagodas took place in NMR 1273, when King Yehefu of Jidu ordered an army to raze the temples so that he could build a Tenjinjo-oriented temple. Before the Tenjinjo temple could be completed, Yehefu suddenly died and a tornado destroyed the construction site. The new king abandoned the project. The Jidu kingdom went into decline and was eventually absorbed into the Akka Dynasty, and the pagodas were rebuilt.

In NMR 1876, Emperor Kangpi of the Akka Dynasty inscribed his name on the walls of the Pagoda of Nushen. A few years later, he died after riding a horse off a cliff.