The Twin Pagodas of Taonan and Lianhuatu Temple

　　Situated to the northeast of our ancient city of Taonan, on the north bank of the Tao'er River, within the Shundeshun Township's Shuangta Village, there stand two exquisitely built, ancient pagodas. They are the famous "Twin Pagodas of Taonan."

　　The Twin Pagodas of Taonan, commonly known as the "Twin Towers," also called the Bao'an Pagodas, are key cultural relics protected at the provincial level in Jilin Province. Standing 12 meters tall, the two pagodas are about 20 meters apart, both constructed from Qing dynasty bricks. Each has a square base with four tiers of steps, and the lower sections are adorned with 16 large relief brick lions that are lively and vigorous in expression. Originally, at the top of the twin pagodas, there were several dozen kilograms of bronze canopies paired with sacred jewels, forming a unique and exquisite design. At the base of the canopy hung four bronze bells that chimed melodiously in the wind. Unfortunately, none remain today. According to local farmers, one was stolen in the spring of 1979, and the other was blown down by wind and hail in 1937 and taken away by Japanese invaders. The twin pagodas are typical structures of a Tibetan Buddhist (Gelug sect) temple. Their architectural style is very similar—almost identical—to the Four Pagodas of Shenyang (East, West, South, and North), the White Dagoba of Beihai Park in Beijing, and the Lamaist Pagoda of the Chengde Mountain Resort.

　　To understand the origin of the Twin Pagodas of Taonan, we must start with a now-destroyed lamasery behind them. In the past, there was a temple complex behind the twin pagodas — this was Lianhuatu Temple, and the pagodas served as its front towers.

　　Now, “Lianhuatu Temple” was no ordinary temple. As you may know, both Tibetan and Mongolian peoples follow the same religion, but they each revere their own living Buddhas. The one revered by the Mongolians is the Gegen Living Buddha, and it was the First and Second Gegen Living Buddhas who resided in this “Lianhuatu Temple.” The First Gegen was named Qoribjamus, who began serving as a monk in the royal Buddhist hall of the Tüsheet Khanate (now Horqin Right Middle Banner) at the age of 27. The local prince conferred upon him the title of “Abba” (Father) Living Buddha. At the age of 35, Qoribjamus was jointly enthroned as Gegen by the princes of the Tüsheet Khanate and the Jasaghtu Khanate (now Horqin Right Front Banner), and was officially invited to become the abbot of Lianhuatu Temple. The First Gegen passed away at the age of 91. The Second Gegen was named Ngawang Danbayar, born in 1714. When he was enthroned at the age of 28, his father was in the process of constructing Lianhuatu Temple. In the year 1748 (the 13th year of the Qianlong Emperor’s reign),

　　the Qianlong Emperor ordered Ngawang Danbayar to translate the Tibetan text of the "Danjur" (a part of the Tibetan Buddhist canon) into Mongolian in Beijing, and conferred upon him the title of “Tayin Hutuktu.” He also bestowed the title “Fan Tong Temple” upon Lianhuatu Temple, and granted it 101 official religious degrees. Later, in an effort to expand the temple, the Second Gegen chose a site on the eastern side of the upper reaches of the Tao'er River, on Mount Taolaite (present-day Ulanhot), where the current Gegen Temple was built. As a result, Lianhuatu Temple gradually declined, and by the time of liberation, it had become largely deserted, with few worshippers. The ancient temple was destroyed in the early years after liberation. Today, it has been turned into an orchard. On the sand dunes behind the temple lies the tomb of the mother of the Gegen, which was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, though some cultural relics are preserved in the Baicheng Regional Museum.

　　Since then, while the Shundeshun Twin Pagodas have gained widespread fame, very few people know about Lianhuatu Temple.

　　Today, the twin pagodas have been restored with funding from the Taonan Municipal Government. They are among the few remaining ancient structures on the Songliao Plain in Northeast China. Their majestic presence and beauty attract an increasing number of domestic and international tourists who come to admire and visit them.