The Twin Towers of the Guangjiao Temple are located at the
south foot of Jingting Mountain, five kilometers north of Xuanzhou City in Anhui
Province.
The Guangjiao Temple, commonly referred to as the Twin-Tower Temple, was
originally built behind the Twin Towers; but now it no longer exists. Historical
records indicate that the Twin Towers were built in 1096 during the Song Dynasty
(960-1279).
Both square towers have seven stories and are 20 meters high. The east tower
is 2.65 meters long on each side, while the west one measures 2.35 meters. The
two brick towers have doors on three sides on the ground floor and on four sides
on the floors above. Many of the original Buddha statues carved on the towers
were severely damaged and only four pairs of well-preserved statues remain on
the fifth floor of the east tower. The towers are divided into three sections by
columns; the middle parts are carved into round, arched doors. The towers, which
are small on the inside, have floors linked by wooden stairs. The second floors
of both towers have stone tablets embedded in the walls with inscriptions
written by Su Wu, a famous scholar of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). The
tablets indicate that the towers were erected approximately in 1096.
The construction of the Twin Towers retains the style of the Tang Dynasty
(618-907), which is a rarity among other ancient towers. The two towers have
managed to maintain their original appearance in the Song Dynasty, except some
minor damages throughout the years.