2024 Cultural 'Summer' Tour (Eighteen): The Glazed Twin Towers of Haihui Temple

The twin towers of Haihui Temple are located in Beiliu Town, Yangcheng, Jincheng City, Shanxi Province. Due to their different construction periods, they are also known as the Liang and Ming twin towers. The two towers stand tall to the north and south, with distinct styles—one tall and slender, the other short and stout. The shorter tower in the front courtyard is a hexagonal, ten-tiered, nearly 30-meter-high hollow brick pagoda built during the Five Dynasties and renovated during the Song Dynasty. Because the brick walls outside the tower are filled with Buddha niches, locals also call it the Thousand Buddha Tower. Unfortunately, all the thousand Buddha statues in the niches have been destroyed, and their true appearance can no longer be seen. The murals inside the tower are said to be very exquisite, but they are not open to the public, making it rare for visitors to see them. The taller tower in the rear courtyard is a hollow glazed pagoda, also known as the Tathagata Tower. It is said that the reason for building this tower was that during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, the pagoda in the front courtyard tilted, and to solidify the foundation and protect the brick tower, this glazed tower was added. The glazed tower is an octagonal, thirteen-tiered, over 50-meter-high brick and stone pagoda. The eaves of the tower are all brick carvings imitating wooden structures, with glazed eaves and copper bells hanging from the flying corners. Each side of the tower body has many Buddha niches, with partial glazed decorations. The glazed tiles on the tower were made by the Qiao family of Yangcheng, whose glazed works are world-renowned. The Ming Dynasty glazed lions in the Forbidden City in Beijing and some glazed products in the Ming Tombs were made by the Qiao family of Yangcheng. The most marvelous feature of this tower is the suspended pavilion on the tenth tier, which extends half a meter outward. The railings are made of fully glazed tiles, with 24 green glazed columns standing on the balustrades. The tower walls are inlaid with glazed murals, and the eaves columns on both sides are decorated with glazed coiled dragons, showcasing exceptional craftsmanship that is breathtaking. The intricate design and luxurious beauty of the glazed decorations make the tower awe-inspiring whether viewed from afar or up close. The entrance ticket to the glazed tower is 30 yuan. After purchasing the ticket, visitors can enter the tower and climb up the narrow stone steps to the suspended pavilion to enjoy the pleasure of a high vantage point. The ancient tower in the front courtyard, which has tilted westward due to subsidence, has maintained its balance under the protection of the glazed tower in the rear courtyard and has stood for a thousand years without falling, earning the nickname 'China's Leaning Tower of Pisa.' The twin towers together form this unique and unparalleled spectacle. The glazed suspended pavilion pagoda of Haihui Temple is an excellent example of Chinese pavilion-style towers, praised as a 'national treasure' and 'the crown of famous towers in Shangdang.' The Glazed Tower of Haihui Temple