They are also called twin pagodas because they share the same base.
The pagodas are located on the site of the old Kaihua Temple on the slopes of Mengshan Mountain, seventeen kilometers southwest of Taiyaun City.
The two pagodas, also called the Pagoda of Sakyamuni and the Pagoda of Tathagata, were constructed in 990 during the Northern Song Dynasty. The base is a rectangular Sumeru pedestal on which the two brick pagodas stand side by side. Both are square, single-storey, ornamental pagodas. Arched doors on the front, with relief carvings of flame patterns above them, led into the interior, where a statue of Buddha was enshrined. The doors also have indistinct patterns of flowers and plants. The eaves above the first storey are made of eleven layers of bricks, each layer protruding over the lower one, making the eaves quite deep. The main body of each pagoda is composed of four tiers of huge lotus petals surrounded in the lower part by carved banisters. The steeple on each pagoda is in the shape of an octagonal pavilion crowned by a big bead. The whole structure of the pagodas is well proportioned and boasts the most exquisite workmanship. The pagodas belong to early models of pagodas with flowery ornaments and feature the architectural styles and engineering methods of the Tang and Five dynasties.
