Twin Pagodas of Suzhou

Twin Pagodas of Suzhou

The Twin Pagodas of Suzhou is a cultural tourism attraction.

Twin Pagodas of Suzhou

Anyone who has visited Suzhou will never forget its classical gardens and charming waterways with small bridges. In fact, Suzhou is also a city of pagodas. Historically, there were about 100 pagodas of various sizes in Suzhou, with dozens still preserved today. Among them, there are more than 20 pavilion-style pagodas. And among these ancient towers, the Twin Pagodas stand out remarkably.

This pair of twin pagodas is not only unique in Suzhou but also unparalleled across the country. Moreover, the mystery surrounding their finials adds an extra layer of mystique.

The Twin Pagodas and Main Hall Ruins of Shuanglin Temple are located at No. 22 Dinghui Temple Lane, Fenghuang Street. During the Tang Dynasty, this site hosted the Prajna Temple. In the seventh year of the Taiping Xingguo era of the Northern Song Dynasty (982 AD), the Wang brothers built two brick pagodas here, which led to the local name "Twin Pagodas Temple." It was destroyed during the tenth year of the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty, leaving only the twin pagodas and the ruins of the main hall. The two pagodas are almost identical in "appearance" — they are two seven-story, octagonal, pavilion-style, brick pagodas built in imitation of wooden structures, standing side by side from east to west. Their style, structure, and size are exactly the same, making them a unique example among China’s pavilion-style ancient pagodas. The eastern pagoda stands 33.3 meters tall, while the slightly taller western pagoda reaches 33.7 meters. The twin pagodas are Buddhist structures, just about 20 meters apart. With their delicate and elegant overall form, they were poetically likened in olden times to two pens piercing the sky.

A pair of twin pagodas standing so closely together is unique in the country, as constructing two towers in such close proximity places extremely high demands on the foundation. Despite enduring a thousand years of wind and rain, the twin pagodas still stand firmly, drawing significant attention from architects and scholars both in China and abroad. Every year, many architectural experts visit them, and some even bring their students here for on-site teaching. Of course, what captures the attention of architects isn’t just that — the 10-meter-high finials atop the pagodas are simply baffling.

It is understood that both finials are cast from cast iron, each weighing 5 tons. How did people back then “lift” these massive objects up there? Architects have varying theories: some speculate that soil was piled around the pagodas first, and then the heavy finials were “pulled” up along the earthen slope — but the issue is, how was such a large slope created when a temple already stood there? Others suggest that stone ladders were erected before climbing to the top, but that would be equally challenging. As for how the finials were transported and installed over 20 meters high, it remains a mystery to this day.

Ticket price: 8 RMB

Address: No. 22–1/2 Dinghui Temple Lane

Phone: 65227778

Transportation: Bus routes 游2 (You 2), 202, 501, 529, 40, 55, 68; get off at Shuangta (Twin Pagodas) Station