Others are abandoned and in a state of disrepair; their wooden stairs gone and roof collapsed.
Darragon spent the next five years studying the towers.
A search among the texts in the local Buddhist monasteries was also unfruitful.
The lack of local knowledge about the towers origin could be due to the region’s history and geography.
Himalayan towers depicted in a painting of the Jinchuan campaigns.
Especially the star-shaped construction that make the structures less susceptible to tremors.
Darragon believes the towers did not serve a single purpose, but its use differed from valley to valley.
In Miniak, for example, she believes that many were watchtowers.
In Kongpo and Damba, the towers seem to be primarily symbols of wealth and pride.
According to one tale, the towers were built by locals who grew rich by trading with Mongol-ruled China.
Many of the towers are now in a derelict state.
Darragon is working to get the towers listed under UNESCOs World Heritage Site.
The designation would likely help protect the towers and raise money to restore them.
She is also trying to enlist Sichuan University’s help in studying the structures.
