The two pagodas were originally located in Xiwuan Ruin in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang. Villagers noticed the pagodas were missing since November and reported the case to the police.
The pagodas were built in Qing Dynasty and each weigh hundreds of kilogrammes, state-run Xinhua news agency reported last night.
Police arrested a suspect named Cai at his home in Huzhou City on December 8.
Cai said he hired twelve people to help him remove and transport the pagodas back to his home and he planned to sell them.