Twin Pagoda Temple (Yongzuo Temple)

We recently visited the Twin Pagoda Temple here in Taiyuan, its official name is Yongzuo Temple. Its a beautiful place and its not really crowded with tourists (local and foreign). We visited the pagodas during winter time since its less crowded during that time of the year.

Photo on the left is the ticket being issues and the right is the ticketing office,

Ticket prices change during spring but when we bought ours its just 20Rmb or $3.

this is the entrance to the temple facility,

upon entering the gate you will be greeted by this view

I was amazed how big this place is, This place boasts gazebos, long oriental walkways, beautiful gardens (flowers not in bloom yet) and a Buddhist temple inside.

This place is quite confusing to be honest since there are so many sections that red wall pictured above is the way to the pagodas.

This Buddhist shrine is located nearer the entrance. its a nice and peaceful place both lower and ground floors houses quite a lot of religious relics. You can do offerings here as well. the bottom floor is much better than the upper level because reaching it is so hard.

The steps going up is steep and very narrow so be careful while going up (left)

and you will be rewarded with this view (right) it was worth climbing after all.

also you will notice two buildings on both left and right side of the buddhist shrine,

This is a photo gallery of all the pagodas in the province alone and also has the photo documentation of the conservation and restoration process of the twin pagodas.

(left) The staircase going up to the pagodas.

(right) east and west pagodas

The Pagodas has been standing there for quite a long time. The east pagoda was constructed 1597 and the west 1612 and that was during the Ming Dynasty.

Additional images below

Very ornate walkway beams and lanterns.

structural details (left) pagoda and (right) buddhist shrine

one of the long walk ways at the temple facility.

What I Love About the Youngzuo Temple

NOT CROWDED - Compared to Beijing i tend to like this place more than the Forbidden City. Its not a touristy place and very few locals are around during our visit.
VERY ACCESSIBLE - If you have a car or if you are getting a taxi you can easily find this place since its within the city itself.
QUIET and SERENE - You will not hear a single horn blowing from the vehicles at all but you will be relaxed by the sound of the wind chimes attached to every corner of every structure in the complex.
AFFORDABLE - For just 3 dollars you can stay here all day! You can paint, unwind and just generally relax.
CLEAN and WELL MAINTAINED - This place is very clean. The toilets are clean and you will not see a single trash lying on the ground. They also have security.

Will i come back to this place? YES

Experience: Me and my husband love this place. Its a great place to unwind within the city, It make you feel at peace with nature and yourself as well. No crowds and tour groups roaming around. The security people are nice. Even if there is a ton of walking involved we still enjoyed it. This is one of our favorite spots in Taiyuan. Since its already spring here the flowers will start to bloom there by now.

Additional Information: