[2024 Taiyuan Attraction] Travel Guide for Shuangta Temple (Twin Pagoda Temple) (Updated Sep)

A visit to Taiyuan is not complete without a visit to the Twin Pagoda Temple.

Enjoy the night view of the Twin Pagoda Temple in Taiyuan. After visiting Jinci, return to the hotel for lunch and rest. If you have enough time and energy, visit the Twin Pagoda Park in the evening and see the famous Yongzuo Temple Twin Pagoda. At night, the pagoda is reflected in the water, creating a unique atmosphere. Legend has it that there was a fierce dragon in the Heilongtan in the northwest of Taiyuan, which caused plague and harmed the people. Later, it was suppressed by the Bodhisattva under the Twin Pagoda Temple. The fierce dragon had a son, the little black dragon, who was also not a good thing. After the old black dragon was suppressed, he always wanted to save him. One night, the little black dragon came to the Twin Pagoda Temple and felt that he could definitely overturn the two brick pagodas, so he rushed to the Xuanwen Buddha Pagoda in the northeast.

Yongzuo Temple

Yongzuo Temple, commonly known as Shuangta Temple among the people, is located in Haozhuang Village, Haozhuang Town, Yingze District, Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province. It was first built during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty (1573-1620), with a construction area of 120,000 square meters. Yongzuo Temple is built against the mountain, facing south to north, and consists of the temple, the pagoda courtyard, and the stele gallery courtyard. The main buildings of the temple include the mountain gate, the east and west wing rooms of the front courtyard, the second gate, the third gate, and the Mahavira Hall, the meditation hall, and the abbot's room in the back courtyard. The pagoda courtyard currently has twin pagodas, a passage hall, and a rear hall. The Mahavira Hall is two stories high and rectangular in plan. The lower level has five bays, with statues of Sakyamuni Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, and Medicine Buddha enshrined inside. The upper level is the Three Saints Hall, originally named Guanyin Pavilion, with three bays, the central bay having a square dome, and the two side bays having two horizontal arches; the central bay's ceiling features a brick-carved caisson. The exterior of the hall imitates wooden structures, with brick columns, beams, dougong brackets, rafters, and eaves, with relatively short eaves; the interior is entirely made of brick arches without beams, hence it is also called the Beamless Hall. The side halls on both sides of the Mahavira Hall are single-story with five bays, and their structure and appearance are similar to the Mahavira Hall.

Taiyuan Twin Pagoda Temple | Complete Travel Guide

🔔Introduction: The Twin Pagoda Temple, also known as Yongzuo Temple, features two pagodas 60 meters apart, each with 13 stories, making them the tallest ancient buildings in Taiyuan and a symbol of the city. ---- 📷Tour Guide: ✅Ticket price is 30 yuan, no reservation needed. ✅Only the north gate is open, navigate to "Twin Pagoda Temple North Gate". ✅Opening hours: 8:30-17:30. ✅Recommended visiting time: 1-2 hours. ✅Suggested tour route: North Gate➡️Peony Garden➡️Broken Arm Lion➡️Mahavira Hall➡️Xuanwen Pagoda (climbable)➡️Wenfeng Pagoda (not climbable)➡️Baoxian Hall➡️Stele Corridor➡️North Gate. ✅Mahavira Hall: Five bays wide, with a double-eaved pavilion style, the columns, eaves, dougong, pendant flowers, and decorations are all carved from blue bricks. The hall has an arch ceiling and was built without a single nail or piece of wood, a typical Ming Dynasty beamless structure. ✅Lingxiao Twin Pagodas: The east pagoda is Wenfeng Pagoda, and the west is Xuanwen Pagoda, both are octagonal thirteen-story hollow brick towers with brick carved dougong decorations and glazed ridge beasts on the eaves. Xuanwen Pagoda is open for climbing. The staircase is very narrow, spiraling upwards, and the same staircase is used for both ascending and descending, so be mindful of giving way to others. The lighting inside the pagoda is not very good, and there are small windows on all four sides at the top. One must crawl to the window to see outside; one side offers a view of Wenfeng Pagoda, while the other three sides have no particular view. ✅Stele Corridor: About 260 stone inscriptions, among which Su Shi's 'Chibi Nostalgia' is the most famous. ---- 📍Address: Haozhuang Village, Haozhuang Town, Yingze District, Taiyuan City. ---- 🚗Transportation: Take bus No. 23, get off at the intersection of Shuangta North Road and Yongzuo West Street.

The Twin Pagoda Temple in Taiyuan (hailed as the landmark building of Taiyuan City)

There is an ancient temple in Taiyuan, but the Ming Dynasty twin pagodas within it serve as the landmark building of Taiyuan City. They are the pride of Taiyuan and also the pride of ancient Chinese architecture! Ancient Temple Introduction📖: The Twin Pagoda Temple, originally named 'Yongzuo Temple', is a famous temple in Shanxi known as the 'Twin Pagoda of Wenbi', and is also acclaimed as the 'Jinyang Spectacle'. The Twin Pagodas of Yongzuo Temple, originally named Xuanwen Pagoda, were named to commemorate the 'merit' of Empress Dowager Xuanwen's financial support for their construction. They were built in the 40th year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (AD 1612). Located at the foot of Xiangshan Mountain, about 4 kilometers from the city center of Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province, in the south of Haozhuang Village. The twin pagodas were not built at the same time; the southeast pagoda was built slightly earlier than the northwest one. The two pagodas are 60 meters apart, symbolizing the 'perfection and infinity' of the Esoteric Buddhism's use of the number sixteen. Both pagodas are entirely made of brick and stone, with a single wooden bracket installed inside the eaves at each level, demonstrating exquisite construction skills. Both pagodas have 13 stories and are over 54 meters high, ranking first among all twin pagodas in China. The two pagodas stand opposite each other, north and south, side by side, maintaining a unified style while each has its own artistic characteristics. During the Ming Dynasty, Li Zicheng, who led the peasant uprising, captured Taiyuan and visited the Twin Pagoda Temple, leaving behind the famous verse: 'The two pagodas of Haozhuang pierce the sky. Even if they cannot pierce through, just add a couple more bricks.' The towering and elegant twin pagodas are the best of their kind in China. They are now a national key cultural relics protection unit. Xuanwen Pagoda📙: The Xuanwen Pagoda was initially built in the 36th year of the Wanli era (1608) of the Ming Dynasty. It was expanded by the invitation of Zhu Minchun, the Prince of Jin, to the national master and high monk Miaofeng from Mount Wutai. The Xuanwen Pagoda is 54.78 meters high, with 13 stories and an octagonal plane. The pagoda spire is made of copper and iron, forming a treasure bottle top, a typical example of a hollow brick pagoda in the style of a pavilion. The outline of the Xuanwen Pagoda is streamlined, with a clear tapering above the seventh floor, and it is decorated with glazed tile edges, majestic and magnificent. The bottom floor of the pagoda has a pagoda door, and there are stairs inside the pagoda that spiral upwards. Wenfeng Pagoda📙: It was built in the 27th year of the Wanli era (1599) of the Ming Dynasty. It is a geomantic pagoda constructed by a group of scholars led by Fu Lin to supplement the insufficient 'literary fortune' of Taiyuan. The Wenfeng Pagoda is 54.76 meters high, with 13 stories and an octagonal plane. It is a typical example of a hollow brick pagoda in the style of a pavilion. The outline of the Wenfeng Pagoda is straight, without obvious tapering, and the pagoda body is constructed with uniformly colored blue bricks, finely ground and jointed, demonstrating exquisite craftsmanship, simple and elegant. Little tips flash: The ticket🎫 is 30 yuan. The temple is not large, and it consists of ancient buildings from the Ming Dynasty. The highlights are the two ancient Ming Dynasty pagodas, one of which can be climbed, and the other cannot. Be aware that the stairs are narrow and can only accommodate one person at a time. Inside the temple, there are also stone stele exhibitions from the Ming Dynasty, which calligraphy enthusiasts might find worth visiting.

If you come to Taiyuan and don't visit the Twin Pagoda Temple, aren't you confused?

This must be the Twin Pagoda Temple you have never seen before. The king of ancient architecture, Shanxi, with its capital Taiyuan, has an ever-lasting city landmark: Yongzuo Twin Pagoda Temple, one of the rare Ming Dynasty twin pagodas in the country, standing side by side, overlooking the clouds. The scenic area will also present a garden landscaping effect of 'fragrant flowers in all four seasons, a different sky every five steps'. Peonies in May, chrysanthemums in November. And it strives to create the beauty of 'flowers and snow in the wind' with 'pear, apricot, peach, and cherry blossoms in spring, lotus leaves and flowers swaying in summer, ginkgo, goldenrain trees, white wax trees, maple leaves, and bright chrysanthemums in autumn, and the strong fragrance of pine waves and snow-covered plum blossoms in winter'. In addition to the core scenic area of the Twin Pagodas soaring into the sky, Twin Pagoda Park also plans to have more than 20 attractions and areas, including the National Studies Museum, Calligraphy and Painting Academy, Martyrs' Memorial Hall, Red Education Theme Memorial Area, Taiyuan Liberation Martyrs' Memorial Area, Children's Activity Area, Sports and Fitness Fields, Cascading Waterfalls, Xiaoyin Mountain House, etc. With the completion of Twin Pagoda Park, Yongzuo Temple, Baiyun Temple, Wangjiafeng Northern Qi Tomb Cluster, and other attractions will be connected, echoing the Jinci Scenic Area in the southwest, becoming Taiyuan's 'iconic' scenic area with historical and cultural charm.

Understated to stunning! This ancient historical capital, you should get to know again!

🌟 When it comes to ancient capitals, you might think of Xi'an or Luoyang, but there is also Taiyuan, which is as famous as Luoyang and Xi'an, known as the 'Three Capitals'. This low-key and restrained provincial capital city is full of endless years and stories. 🏰 Taiyuan is so understated that it seems non-existent, but it actually has a history of over 4700 years, a city-building history of 2500 years, and 19 emperors, no wonder it is called the 'Dragon City', a truly fitting name for the land where the dragon thrives! 🏭 It is also one of China's earliest industrial cities and has now transformed into the 'Number One Park City of the North'. Mountains, hot springs, rivers, forests, beautiful scenery is everywhere! 🌟Must-visit attractions in Taiyuan 1⃣ Ancient Taiyuan City 🏯 In the ancient Taiyuan City, many historical buildings are preserved, and historical traces can be seen everywhere. Many tourists dressed in ancient costumes give an instant feeling of time travel. It is also the filming location for the movie 'Man Jiang Hong'. 2⃣ Jinci 🏞 A royal sacrificial garden, even older than the Forbidden City! The architectural style ranges from the Song Dynasty to the Republic of China. Walking through it, you can feel the profound historical vicissitudes. 3⃣ Yongzuo Temple 🏯 This is Taiyuan's iconic building, with two opposing towers that let you know this is Taiyuan at a glance. Standing on the top of the tower, you can overlook the beautiful scenery of the whole city! 4⃣ Bujisi 🌿 A representative of Jin Dynasty architecture, although it has been renovated many times, you can still experience the architectural style of the Jin Dynasty! 5⃣ Mengshan Giant Buddha 🙏 The Mengshan Giant Buddha has been watching over this land for more than 1500 years and is the largest cliff Buddha of China's Northern Dynasties! 6⃣ Tianlongshan Grottoes 🗿 Once an imperial summer palace, the grottoes have been crafted through several dynasties, with a large number of statues, reliefs, and other cultural relics. However, they were sadly stolen by Japan, and the existing grottoes, although damaged, still witness the historical vicissitudes. 7⃣ Bell Tower Street 🏘 A blend of retro and modern, with green-gray Western buildings, old photo studios, cultural and creative shops... full of old Taiyuan memories! 8⃣ Donghu Vinegar Garden 🍶 Explore the brewing process of Shanxi old vinegar and even taste vinegar-flavored ice cream! 9⃣ Yingze Park 🌳 Taiyuan's 'Little Jiangnan', with rippling blue waves, green willows, and blooming flowers, a great place for leisure! 🔟 Shanxi Museum 🏛 One of the three major museums in the country, national treasures are all here, waiting for you to discover! 🍜 Taiyuan cuisine, a paradise for foodies 🍲 Meatball Soup: A must-have breakfast for Taiyuan people, beef soup + meatballs + baked pancake, a perfect combination! 🥣 Brain: A unique medicinal cuisine, you might not be used to it the first time, but it's definitely worth a try! 🥩 Sliced Meat in Hot Oil: The foremost of the top ten famous Jin dishes, slices of meat stir-fried with wood ear mushrooms, magnolia petals, etc., topped with old vinegar, delicious! 🍲 Raw Charcoal Copper Pot: Mutton, mutton offal, mutton soup, paired with Fenjiu, full of Shanxi people's jianghu spirit! There are also oat noodles, fried oil cakes, stir-fried sausages, meat-hooked chicken, sauce meat, and many other local specialty foods that are worth tasting! 💖 Taiyuan, this low-key historical treasure city, check it out before it becomes a hot spot! Feel the 5000 years of historical heritage, taste the authentic cuisine, and you will surely linger and forget to return! 💖

Taiyuan-Jinzhong Travel Guide

🌟 Taiyuan-Jinzhong Travel Guide 🌟 Due to changes in the New Year's plan, I chose the journey from Taiyuan to Jinzhong. Shanxi gives me the impression that it is low-key, with many historical sites and low consumption; the people are enthusiastic and real, and the kind drivers and tour guides add color to the journey; the New Year's atmosphere is strong, and the festive atmosphere can be felt everywhere. 🏯 Twin Tower Temple 🏯 👍 Fun part: Climb the tower to experience the heaviness of history and overlook the beautiful scenery of Taiyuan. 💼 Preparation: Dress comfortably and pay attention to safety when climbing the tower. 💔 Pitfall to avoid: The stairs inside the tower are narrow and it is not easy to pass side by side when there are many people. 🍜 Liuxiang, Bell and Drum Tower, Food Street 🍜 👍 Fun part: Taste various foods and feel the architectural style of ancient and modern fusion. 💼 Preparation: The taste of food is diverse, prepare a good appetite. 💔 Pitfall to avoid: There are a lot of people on weekends, it is recommended to avoid peak hours. 🏛 Pingyao Ancient City 🏛 👍 Fun part: Rent a car for sightseeing, take less detours, and understand the history of Jin merchants. 💼 Preparation: Prepare a good itinerary, and the car rental cost needs to be considered in advance. 💔 Pitfall to avoid: There are many people in the ancient city, and renting a car can save time. 🕌 Jinci 🕌 👍 Fun part: Feel the ancient culture and appreciate the historical relics. 💼 Preparation: The cost of the tour guide needs to be understood in advance, and the time arrangement should be paid attention to. 💔 Pitfall to avoid: The cost of the tour guide is relatively high, and it needs to be weighed whether it is worth it. 🏺 Shanxi Museum 🏺 👍 Fun part: Visit the museum and understand the history and culture of Shanxi. 💼 Preparation: The visit time should be arranged as early as possible, and the interpreter can be rented. 💔 Pitfall to avoid: Reserve enough time for the visit to avoid missing the closing time. 🏨 Accommodation recommendation 🏨 Hilton Huanpeng: The rooms are spacious and the breakfast is rich, but the coffee taste is average. Lifeng Hotel: High cost performance, the price is suitable during the New Year, and there are gifts for check-in. 🍽 Dining recommendation 🍽 Food Street: Try Shanxi delicacies such as gold silk beef pie, the price is moderate. 🚗 Traffic advice 🚗 High-speed rail: Convenient travel, early booking can enjoy discounts. Taxi: Flexible travel, but pay attention to traffic congestion. The journey from Taiyuan to Jinzhong, where historical sites and food coexist, and culture and history shine each other, is an unforgettable trip to Shanxi!

A trip to Taiyuan, full of surprises! Unlock the charm of Shanxi and feel the style of the ancient city!

🌈 Taiyuan, a city full of historical heritage, quaint streets, delicious food, and magnificent natural scenery, will make you linger! 🌄 🏞 When you come to Taiyuan, you must go to the ancient city wall and feel the vicissitudes and magnificence! There are also unique ancient buildings, as if you have traveled back to the historical moment a thousand years ago! 🏰 🍜 The food in Taiyuan is not to be missed! The unique Shanxi noodles, fragrant mutton soup, and sweet Taiyuan snacks will let your taste buds revel! 🥘 🌟 Not only that, Taiyuan also has a rich cultural heritage. Jinci, Shuangta Temple, Shanxi Museum and other places are good places for you to understand the history of Shanxi! 📜 🎉 Come to Taiyuan and feel the unique charm of this ancient city!

Admire the ancient peonies of the Ming Dynasty at the Twin Pagoda Temple in Taiyuan

Only the peony is the true national color, and it moves Jin Yang when it blooms. At the turn of spring and summer, more than 6,000 peonies of various colors represented by the Ming Dynasty peony 'Purple Cloud Fairy' enter the blooming period in the ancient temple of the Twin Pagoda Temple. The ancient branches are tall and straight, blooming in competition. Light pink, bright red, bright yellow, rose red, the petals are layered, the flowers are well-arranged, and under the background of the twin towers, it shows a bit of simplicity and moving. Who is the most beautiful among the peonies? 'Purple Cloud Fairy' in the Twin Pagoda Temple. In the square flower bed in front of the Daxiong Treasure Hall, several 'Purple Cloud Fairies' are blooming vigorously under the bright sunlight, and the large flower plates are proudly blooming. Purple is red, and red is purple, which is spectacular, as if the flower god in dress has fallen into the world. 'The Ming Dynasty peony 'Purple Cloud Fairy' was moved to Taiyuan in the middle of the Ming Dynasty. It has a history of more than 400 years and is the oldest 'temple peony' in Taiyuan. It is also the only Ming Dynasty peony found so far. 'Purple Cloud Fairy' now has dozens of plants in the park, it has a long flowering period, and the flowers are as large as a plate, which is the best among peonies. Because the petals are light purple when they first open, and they are purple in the late stage, they are called 'Purple Cloud Fairy'. 'Wei Fang, the interpreter of the Twin Pagoda Museum in Taiyuan, introduced that in addition to the 'Purple Cloud Fairy', Yao Huang Peony, 'Er Qiao' Peony, Black Peony, and Bean Green Peony are also particularly gorgeous.

When traveling to Taiyuan, besides Jinci, you must climb this tower!

In Taiyuan city, there is a tower that can still be climbed to the top, which is the brick tower of Yongzuo Temple built in the Ming Dynasty. Yongzuo Temple is now known as "Shuangta Temple". There are two octagonal thirteen-story brick towers in the temple, 54.7 meters high. I prefer the name "Yongzuo Temple", "Yongzuo" comes from the Book of Songs, which means "forever passed down, never exhausted for all generations". The north gate of Shuangta Temple is closest to the scenic area. After passing a super large square, you can reach the ticket checking entrance. The scenic area closes at 5:30 pm. I arrived after 5 pm. There was a long line of people queuing to climb the tower. The security guard said that tourists in the scenic area can continue to climb the tower after closing. So I sat under the big locust tree opposite the tower, watching the wind blowing the locust flowers, watching everyone queueing up lively, it was very cool under the tree, very comfortable. At nearly six thirty, there were basically no people, and I started to climb the tower. The tower is hollow inside, with a circle of stone steps around it. The stone steps are flanked by walls. The higher you go, the narrower it becomes. Later, only one person can pass. You can climb to the 11th floor, and each floor can reach the window through the center of the tower. The stones on the stone steps and walls have been coated with slurry. The windows on each floor should not have been locked originally. Everywhere you can see has been carved with words, even on the eaves outside. Maybe thousands of years later, these "been here" words and time will become the research objects of future generations, and become a part of history and humanities? Some names are very wide and deep, carved on hard stones, I really wonder what the people who have been here used and how long it took to carve. I sat at each window on the highest floor for a while. At that time, the setting sun was just right, the breeze was blowing, you could see the tower opposite, the lake in the distance, and the trees in the park, all covered with a gentle light. I don't know how many people have looked out from the same window at this time. Such a high tower was built by craftsmen brick by brick in the past. Over the centuries, monks, residents, and tourists have climbed up and down, with different moods and purposes, different times and environments, but the stone steps and stone walls they have passed are the same, which is really amazing.

Autumn scenery of Taiyuan Twin Towers Park (III)

Taiyuan Twin Towers Park, located in Yingze District, Taiyuan City, north of South Inner Ring East Street, is the largest comprehensive park in the eastern region of Taiyuan City. The central area of the park is the famous Twin Towers Temple. Centered on the Twin Towers Temple, there are lakes and waters, antique buildings, gentle slope gardens, fitness trails, etc. The eastern area of the park is the Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Area. The park has four entrances and exits in the east, south, west, and north, and there is a tourist service center at the north entrance.

Where do you go to New Year's Day? I recommend that you come to the Yongzheng Temple in Taiyuan City, also known as the Taiyuan Twin Towers. This is one of the attractions that must be checked in Taiyuan. In fact, I personally think that it is a very aggrieved scenic spot. It is backed by the Taihang Peak and surrounded by pines and cypresses. This double tower is rare in the country, but it is not particularly famous. Many people in the country have not heard of it. Over. Climb to the top of the tower to see the scenery of Taiyuan. It was built to commemorate the mother of Wanli Emperor, so it is a long-established building, recommended by New Year's Day.