Shuangta Temple, Shanxi

Shuangta Temple, also known as Yongzuo Temple, is a famous Buddhist temple located in Haozhuang Village, Haozhuang Town, Yingze District, Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province. It was built during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty (1573–1620) and is named after the two towering ancient pagodas in the temple. It is known as the "Jinyang Wonder" and is a landmark building in Taiyuan. Shuangta Temple is built on a mountain, facing north, and consists of a temple, a pagoda courtyard, and a 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 Daxiong Hall, the Zen Hall, and the Abbot's Room in the back courtyard. The pagoda courtyard has two pagodas, a hall, and a back hall. The Daxiong Hall is two stories high and rectangular in shape, with five rooms on the lower floor. Inside the hall, there are statues of Sakyamuni Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, and Medicine Buddha. The upper floor is the Three Saints Hall, originally named Guanyin Pavilion, with three rooms. The brick carvings on the ceiling are ingeniously and beautifully designed. The exterior of the hall imitates wooden structures, with brick columns, beams, brackets, and eaves, and the eaves are relatively short. The interior of the hall is entirely made of brick arches, without beams, so it is also called the Beamless Hall. The twin pagodas of Shuangta Temple are its core attraction. Both pagodas are octagonal and have 13 stories, about 54.7 meters high, and are built in a brick pavilion style, imitating wooden structures. The two pagodas are 60 meters apart, resembling twin sisters, and complement each other. The west pagoda (Wenfeng Pagoda) was built slightly earlier than the east pagoda (Relic Pagoda), and they each have their own unique styles and decorations, showcasing the artistic style of brick architecture in the Ming Dynasty. In addition to its architectural art, Shuangta Temple is also known for its rich cultural connotations. The temple houses more than 260 steles by famous calligraphers from various dynasties, including the "Baoxian Hall Collection of Ancient Calligraphy" from the Ming Dynasty and the "Ancient Baoxian Hall Calligraphy" from the Qing Dynasty. The temple also has over 6,000 peony plants, including the "Zixiaxian" peony from the Ming Dynasty, which is extremely precious. Shuangta Temple is not only a religious sanctuary but also an important place for studying Ming Dynasty architecture and calligraphy. It attracts a large number of tourists and scholars every year. On May 25, 2006, Yongzuo Temple was announced as a national key cultural relic protection unit by the State Council of the People's Republic of China.