The Twin Pagodas

The Twin Pagodas

The Twin Pagodas are the two pagodas most characteristic of Suzhou. They are artistic and natural as they are close at hand. These two precious pagodas lie in the Dinghui Temple Lane in the southeastern corner of the city proper of Suzhou. One of them is called Clarity Dispensing Pagoda and the other Beneficence Pagoda and they are in the same form of building. Both the twin Pagodas are wooden building structure in appearance. They are octagonal in plan and have seven storeys, each with doors in four sides and straight lattices in other sides. 　　There are many legends about the one-thousand-year-old pagodas. It is charming that the exquisite and straight Twin Pagoda look like two inserted writing brushes. To the east of the pagoda is a square five-storeyed bell building built in the Ming Dynasty which is exactly like a thick ink stick. So there is also a saying that “the Twin Pagodas are as writing brushes while the bell building as ink stick”. Though these are some fantastic talks, they are often dwelled upon with great relish by visitors to Suzhou .