The Sun and Moon Twin Pagodas (日月双塔, Rìyuè Shuāngtǎ) elegantly embellish the scenery of Shan Lake in Guilin. Though they're open during the day, we recommend visiting them at night, when their respective yellow and blue glows cast a distinctive aura around the lake.
Originally built during the Tang dynasty (618–907), the pagodas were reconstructed in 2001, with the Moon Pagoda on an island and the Sun Pagoda on the lake's floor. The pagodas utilize Buddhist, Taoist and Confucianist elements in their architecture and decoration, and the Sun Pagoda is one of the few pagodas with a lift – though you still have to walk up the final flight of stairs to the 9th floor to see the Buddha’s finger-bone relic (the lift only goes to the 8th floor).
Walking around Shan Lake is free, but to enter the pagodas you must purchase a ticket (¥35) at the Moon Pagoda's gate. The best place to take photos of each pagoda is from the top of the other. To reach the Sun Pagoda, go through the underwater tunnel. Also, spin the Mo Ni Che (a Tang Tantrism prayer wheel) outside the Moon Pagoda: it's said to remove obstacles and produce a bright magnetic field in the spinner. Plan to spend at least 30 minutes here.
