Xuanwu Lingtai Scenic Area

Xuanwu Lingtai Scenic Area

The "Xuanwu Lingtai" scenic area by the Haichi River features pavilions and towers nestled against the city and the water, shaded by towering ancient trees, creating an elegant and picturesque landscape. It is the largest cultural landmark within Xinghua City, boasting a history of over 700 years.

Historical records state that in the first year of the Baoying era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1225), Chen Gai, the magistrate of Xinghua, built earthen walls and four gates along with four water gates around the county government office to defend against northern armies such as the Jin and the newly emerging Mongols attempting to cross the Huai River and invade the south. Using soil excavated from modifying the size of the Duoduo islands and digging river channels, he constructed an approximately 3.5-kilometer-long earthen wall with gates to the east, south, west, and north, and built a high platform on the southern side of the earthen wall north of the county government office. Following the five elements and their corresponding "Four Symbols," where the black tortoise (Xuanwu) represents the north, this platform was named "Xuanwu Platform." At the same time, the "Jinhui Tower," symbolizing "attack and defense" and adjacent to the Huai River, was erected on the "Xuanwu Platform." During the Yuan Dynasty, Magistrate Zhan Shilong studied here, hence it was also called the Reading Tower.

In 1538, Magistrate Fu Pei excavated the Yudai River to divert water into Haichi and renovated the platform to strengthen the city’s defenses, renaming it Gongji Platform. The platform is 6 meters high, 16 meters long, and 15 meters wide, covering an area of about 1,300 square meters. The main gate bears the engraved characters "Gongji" (Polar Guard). There are arched gates on the east and west sides for access; the eastern platform houses the Zhaoyang Academy, while the three rooms to the north of the courtyard form the Quzi Temple, dedicated to Qu Yuan. To the west through a moon gate lies the Green Wave Pavilion, and north of the pavilion is the Haiguang Tower.

In the autumn of 1644, during the Hongguang era of the Southern Ming Dynasty, Shi Kefa, a hero resisting the Qing who was stationed in Yangzhou, visited Xinghua with his adopted son and deputy general Shi Dewei to inspect the city’s defenses. Upon ascending the "Gongji Platform" to survey the terrain, he renamed the "Jinhui Tower" as the "Haiguang Tower" and spontaneously inscribed the plaque "Haiguang Tower," which was hung in the tower. During the Qing Dynasty, to avoid the naming taboo of Emperor Shengzu (Kangxi, personal name Xuanye), the platform was briefly renamed Yuwu Platform. In 1686, Kong Shangren, author of The Peach Blossom Fan, resided here.

The "Xuanwu Lingtai" scenic area took initial shape in the early Southern Song Dynasty. By the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican period—especially during the Ming and Qing eras—it underwent more than 10 rounds of construction and expansion. Successive additions included the Yi’ai Shrine, Jingxian Shrine (later renamed Quzi Temple), Zhaoyang Academy, and the Stele Hall, among other structures. It received praise and acclaim from over 100 literati and officials throughout the dynasties, resulting in a wealth of literary works including over 100 poems, more than 10 inscriptions, 3 essays, 8 ci poems, and 8 prefaces or postscripts. Additionally, it inspired the literary collection Gongji Platform Chorus Collection and the Xinghua Gongji Platform Annals compiled by Magistrate Yu Linian in the sixth year of the Tongzhi era (1867), as well as the globally influential play The Peach Blossom Fan by Kong Shangren. These greatly enriched the cultural and historical significance of the Xuanwu Lingtai scenic area, establishing it as one of the major scenic attractions in central and northern Jiangsu, alongside Yangzhou’s Pingshan Hall and Gaoyou’s Wenyou Platform.