Yongzuo Temple in Taiyuan is often overlooked

There are very few ancient pagodas that you can climb to the top of, so it's very lucky that you can climb to the top of the south pagoda at Yongzuo Temple. It's really amazing. On the one hand, you can admire the exquisite ancient architecture, and on the other hand, the steep stairs are really challenging. —— Yongzuo Temple in Taiyuan, Shanxi is commonly known as "Shuangta Temple." The temple and pagoda are said to have been built in the 25th year of the Wanli period of the Ming dynasty. The twin pagodas and Mahavira Hall are interesting examples for the study of architectural history. Both pagodas have eaves supported by brackets, which are quite complex. Each bracket has two rows of horizontal brackets, one row at the end of the bracket, as is usual for brackets, but there is another row of horizontal brackets above the bracket eye, which is something I've never seen before. The Mahavira Hall and its east and west side halls are all built of brick, and their structure is a new style that emerged after the mid-Ming dynasty. ——Excerpt from "A History of Chinese Architecture" by Liang Sicheng