The Manfeilong Pagoda is situated on the top of a hill near Manfeilong Village, 70 kilometers (43 miles) away from Jinghong City. It was built in the year 1024 and is a famed stupa complex in Xishuangbanna. It is also known by two other names: White Pagoda and Bamboo Shoot Pagoda. These descriptive names are derived from the fact that the pagoda is, of course, white while its overall shape resembles a bamboo shoot. The pagoda is dedicated to Hinayana Buddhism (a small, conservative branch of Buddhism).

The Manfeilong Pagoda consists of nine stupas. Seen from the distance, they look very like bamboo shoots that have emerged from the soil after the spring rain. They are made of bricks, with typical club-like bases topped by calabash shaped bodies. The principle and central stupa, which is 16.29 meters (53 feet) high, is surrounded by eight smaller stupas, each being 9.1 meters (30 feet) high. In each stupa, there is a niche wherein a statue of Buddha is laid. The bells hung at the top of the pagoda make a tinkling sound when the wind blows. Just to the south of the pagoda, there is a footprint on the rock. According to legend, this is the left footprint of Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism.

The White Pagoda is complimented by an equally famous seven-tier building known as the Black Pagoda. This stands some 3.5 kilometers (approximately two miles) to the south and is over 18 meters (59 feet) in height. The pagoda seems like a calabash and was built as a place for the worship of the right footprint of Sakyamuni. As its name implies, the pagoda was originally black but following several refurbishments is now a silvery white in color.

The Manfeilong Pagoda is decorated with beautiful sculpture, relief and colored paintings in the style of the Dai ethnic minority. During the Water-splashing Festival (usually on April 13-15), the villagers from the Manfeilong Village gather at the pagoda and chase one another, splashing water as part of a welcome to the new year in Dai calendar.