Yaocan Pavilion (Pavilion for Making Pilgrimages from Afar) was built in the 35th year of Qianlong (1770) of the Qing Dynasty. In order to indicate their sincerity of making a pilgrimage from afar before mountain-climbing, Emperors in ancient times who came to pay respects to Mount Taishan always held simple ceremony here. Yaocan Pavilion is an architectural complex which is divided into two courts: the front one and the rear one. The portal in the south is like a gate of a Buddhist temple, and before the gate stands a memorial archway on which Yaocan Pavilion is engraved. On both sides of the archway, there are stone lions and flagpoles. All of these make a solemn and respectful atmosphere.

In front of the archway, there is a pond called Double Dragon Pond built in the sixth year of Guangxu (1880) of the Qing Dynasty. Inside the pond, there are two stone dragon-shaped taps respectively at the northwest and the southeast corner. It is for this reason that the pond got this name. The water in the pond comes from Wangmu (Queen Mother) Pond. At the side of the pond, there is a pagoda tree which is still lush and green though it has lived several hundreds years.

Yaocan Pavilion is an independent group of constructions, but it is also indivisible from Dai Temple behind it. Just because of its existence, Dai Temple and even the grand mountain look particularly grand and sacred.