Shuangta Temple (Yongzuo Temple)

Shuangta Temple (Yongzuo Temple) in Taiyuan

Shuangta Temple (Yongzuo Temple) is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Yongzuo Temple, commonly known as "Shuangta Temple," is located on a hillside in Haocun Village, about 3 kilometers southeast of downtown Taiyuan, Shanxi Province. It was first built in the 27th year of the Wanli reign during the Ming Dynasty (1599), originally named "Yongming Temple." In the 36th year of Wanli (1608), the eminent monk Miaofeng (also known as Fudeng) from Mount Wutai was commissioned to continue its construction, and the temple was renamed "Yongzuo Temple." In the early Qing Dynasty, the mountain gate was added, and the meditation hall and main halls were further developed, forming a small-scale monastery. However, during the turbulent years of war, the ancient temple endured much hardship. By the end of the Republican era, it was already in a state of disrepair. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, it underwent multiple renovations. A new stele corridor was built, the front courtyard was reconstructed, and peonies were widely planted, giving the ancient temple a completely renewed appearance.

The total area of Yongzuo Temple is 120,000 square meters. Built against a hillside and facing south to north, it consists of three courtyards. Entering from the northern mountain gate, the first courtyard was expanded in the 1980s in imitation of Ming Dynasty architecture. The side halls serve as exhibition rooms, collectively called the Exhibition Courtyard. The second courtyard, known as the "Garden of Paradise Scenery" or Peony Courtyard, is filled with various peonies and features the charm of a northern-style garden. To the east, there is an exhibition room displaying stone tablets and statues collected from around the city. The third courtyard, known as the "Yongzuo Buddhist Forest" or Worship Courtyard, houses the Mahavira Hall, Three Saints Pavilion, meditation hall, and guest hall.

The Mahavira Hall has five bays and is a finely structured two-story pavilion-style building. Its columns, eaves, brackets, spandrels, hanging pillars, and patterns are all made of finely carved blue bricks, imitating wooden structures. The interior features a brick-vaulted ceiling without a single nail or piece of wood, making it a typical beamless structure of the Ming Dynasty, hence the name "Wuliang Hall" (Hall of Infinite). At the center of the hall stands a 3.85-meter-tall gilded bronze statue of Amitabha Buddha, flanked by iron-cast seated statues of Sakyamuni and Bhaisajyaguru. It serves as a worship site for the Pure Land sect. In front of the hall are two trees planted during the Ming Dynasty: a lilac and a peony. Above the Mahavira Hall sits the Three Saints Pavilion, a single-eave hip-and-gable roof structure. Its top is adorned with layers of projecting brick carvings and interlocking brackets, forming a nested arch and constructing a brick caisson ceiling that is larger at the bottom and smaller at the top—an exquisite example of ancient Chinese beamless pavilion architecture. The pavilion originally housed statues of the "Three Saints of the West," but now displays exquisitely crafted Ming Dynasty statues of the Three Great Bodhisattvas, also considered masterpieces among Ming sculptures.

An eastern side gate of the Worship Courtyard leads to the Pagoda Courtyard. In contrast to the Yongzuo Buddhist Forest, the Pagoda Courtyard is also referred to as the Upper Courtyard. While the central axis of the Yongzuo Buddhist Forest runs from north to south, the axis of the Pagoda Courtyard is from southeast to northwest, reflecting traditional Chinese concepts—especially the Taoist belief in invoking literary fortune through the energy of the southeast. Along this axis are, in sequence, a new pagoda, a passageway hall, an old pagoda, and a pavilion-style rear hall. Both pagodas are 54 meters tall, standing opposite each other with a distance of 46.6 meters between them. Both are constructed of brick in imitation of wood, consistent with the structure of the Mahavira Hall. The pagodas are pavilion-style and spindle-shaped. As the height increases, each level becomes slightly lower, and the brackets change from five-tiered double-eave to three-tiered single-eave, aligning with the visual perception of looking up—lower below and higher above. The difference between the two pagodas is that the old pagoda has less pronounced tapering, plain eaves, and carvings of peony leaves, while the new pagoda has distinct tapering, glazed edge eaves, and lotus decorations. The interiors of both pagodas are hollow, with staircases set between the inner and outer walls, allowing visitors to spiral up to the 11th floor. Each level of the pagoda has four gates leading to the eaves, offering views of the beautiful landscapes of Jinyang.

In May 2006, Yongzuo Temple, as an ancient architectural site from the Ming to Qing periods, was approved by the State Council to be included in the sixth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Address: Haocun Village, Haozhuang Town, Yingze District, Taiyuan City

Transportation

Yongzuo Temple is located in Taiyuan City, approximately 7 kilometers from the city center.

Within the city, take bus routes 812, 820, or 873, and get off at the "Shuangta Temple" stop.

Type: Historical Site / Temple / Ancient Pagoda

Recommended Visiting Time: 1–2 hours

Opening Hours:

8:30-17:30

Ticket Information:

Door Price: Starting from 20.0 RMB

April–October: 30 RMB; November–March of the following year: 20 RMB.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units