太原双塔（永祚寺双塔）是太原城市地标，始建于明代。东塔文峰塔、西塔宣文塔，均为八角十三层空心砖塔，巍峨对峙，被誉为“双塔凌霄”。作为全国重点文物保护单位，双塔是晋阳文化与古城太原的象征。
The Twin Pagodas of Yongzuo Temple are the landmark of Taiyuan, built in the Ming Dynasty. Consisting of the Wenfeng Pagoda (east) and Xuanwen Pagoda (west), both are octagonal 13-story hollow brick pagodas standing tall opposite each other, known as “Twin Pagodas Piercing the Sky”. A national key cultural relic protection site, they symbolize Jinyang culture and ancient Taiyuan.
文峰塔（东塔）
Wenfeng Pagoda (East Pagoda)
始建于明万历二十七年（1599年），为补太原文运的风水塔，高54.76米，八角十三层楼阁式空心砖塔。塔身轮廓直线型，无明显收分，一色青砖对缝砌筑，石制葫芦顶塔刹，建成后微向西北倾斜，古朴素雅，是文人祈愿之地。
First built in 1599 (the 27th year of the Wanli reign in the Ming Dynasty), it is a geomantic pagoda designed to enhance Taiyuan’s cultural prosperity. Standing at 54.76 meters, it is an octagonal, 13-storey, pavilion-style hollow brick pagoda. With a straight silhouette and no obvious tapering, the pagoda is exquisitely built with polished blue bricks. Topped with a stone calabash finial, it leans slightly northwestward since its completion, presenting an elegant and unsophisticated style, and has long been a place for scholars to pray.
大雄宝殿
Mahavira Hall
永祚寺核心无梁砖仿木大殿，通体不用一木，青砖拱券与砖雕斗拱构筑，单檐歇山顶，孔雀蓝琉璃剪边。殿内供奉三世佛，殿前有三百余年历史的明代牡丹“紫霞仙”，是太原春日名景，也是明代无梁殿建筑的典范之作。
The core hall of Yongzuo Temple features a beamless brick structure imitating wooden architecture, constructed entirely with blue brick vaults and brick-carved brackets. It has a single-eave gable-and-hip roof trimmed with peacock-blue glazed tiles. Enshrining the Three Buddhas of the Three Ages inside, the hall is fronted by the 300-year-old Ming Dynasty peony “Zixia Xian”, a famous spring attraction in Taiyuan, and a model of beamless hall architecture of the Ming Dynasty.
三圣阁
Three Sages Pavilion
建于大雄宝殿顶部的无梁飞阁，面阔三间，砖雕穹隆藻井为镇阁之宝，孔雀蓝琉璃瓦覆顶。阁内供奉观音、文殊、普贤三圣像，是国内罕见的砖构叠阁建筑，尽显明代砖作工艺的巅峰水准。
A beamless pavilion perched atop the Mahavira Hall, it spans three bays. Its highlight is the brick-carved domed caisson ceiling, and the roof is covered with peacock-blue glazed tiles. Enshrining statues of Guanyin, Manjusri and Samantabhadra, it is a rare stacked brick pavilion in China, representing the pinnacle of brickwork craftsmanship in the Ming Dynasty.
明代牡丹·紫霞仙（太原永祚寺/双塔寺），植于明万历年间（约1599年，与双塔始建同期），位于大雄宝殿前花坛，距今400余年，是全国现存唯一的明代寺院牡丹、最古老的寺院牡丹遗存。花为单瓣型，早开晚收、花期较长（4月中下旬率先绽放）；花色渐变：初开肉红、盛开淡紫、晚期正紫，花径硕大、香气馥郁。历经数百年风雨战火，现存古株依然繁茂，是晋阳牡丹文化的活化石，也是太原双塔牡丹文化节的核心主角。
Purple Cloud Immortal Peony
The Ming-dynasty peony Purple Cloud Immortal (Zixia Xian) is located in the flower bed in front of the Mahavira Hall at Yongzuo Temple (Twin Pagoda Temple) in Taiyuan. Transplanted in the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty (c. 1599, the same period when the Twin Pagodas were first built), it has a history of over 400 years. It is the only surviving peony plant from the Ming Dynasty in China and the oldest existing peony in a Buddhist temple. It is a single-petal, early-blooming variety with an extended flowering period, usually blooming first in mid-to-late April. Its flower color fades through phases: flesh-pink when budding, pale purple in full bloom, and deep purple as the flowers fade, with large blooms and a rich, lingering fragrance. Surviving centuries of wars and natural disasters, the ancient plants still thrive today. It is a living relic of Jinyang’s peony culture and the star attraction of the annual Taiyuan Twin Pagoda Peony Cultural Festival.
登临双塔，回望千年晋阳文脉。一砖一瓦藏古韵，一花一塔见春秋。愿这古城地标，永远守护太原的岁月与荣光。
Visiting the Twin Pagodas means tracing the millennia-old culture of Jinyang. Every brick and tile carries ancient charm, every flower and pagoda witnesses history. May this landmark always guard the years and glory of Taiyuan.
