Visitor Guide
Opening hours:
Peak Season (April 1 - Oct 31): 8:30 am-5:30 pm
Off Season (Nov 1 - March 31): 9 am-5 pm
Address:
Haozhuang village, Haozhuang town, Yingze district, Taiyuan
Overview
Yongzuo Temple is a rare example in China of a temple complex extensively built with beamless brick structures that imitate timber architecture. The Mahavira Hall, Meditation Hall, Guest Hall and Three Saints Pavilion within the temple are all representative examples of such Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) beamless brick structures.
The twin pagodas, constructed during the Wanli reign (1573-1620) of the Ming Dynasty, are the most complete, largest in scale and tallest of all paired brick pagodas in China — earning them the title of the finest twin pagodas in the country.
The inscribed steles, Baoxian Hall Collection of Ancient Calligraphy Models and the Ancient Baoxian Hall Calligraphy Models, engraved during the Ming and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, bring together over 260 works from renowned calligraphers of past dynasties. These collections hold exceptional historical, artistic and calligraphic value, and are rarely seen elsewhere in China.
The temple is also home to more than 6,000 peony plants of various varieties. Among them, the prized Zixia Xian (Purple-Cloud Immortal) is a Ming Dynasty cultivar with a history of over 400 years. It is the oldest known temple-cultivated peony still surviving in China.