Xian Guan Pavilion

Xian Guan Pavilion

Xian Guan Pavilion is a national AA-level tourist attraction.

Xian Guan Pavilion is located at the west end of Xian Guan Street in Xian Guan Town, about 14 kilometers north of Shuyang County. The pavilion has two stories, is diamond-shaped, and features upturned eaves and corbel brackets, giving it an antique charm. It stands 9.5 meters tall and covers an area of 2.2 mu.

Legend has it that the ancient Xian Guan Pavilion was taller and more magnificent than the current one, containing stone inscriptions and steles for visitors to admire, as well as chessboards and stone benches for enjoying tea and playing chess. It was surrounded by weeping willows, ancient pines, small bridges, and quaint houses, creating a picturesque scene. It once stood in grand contrast with Shasha Temple on the east bank of the Sha River and Yueya Tower on the north bank, enjoying great popularity and attracting many literati and artists to visit. It is said that when Emperor Qianlong traveled to the south of the Yangtze River, accompanied by Ji Xiaolan, he passed through Xian Guan but could not find the Xian Guan Pavilion. Missing the daylight, he stayed overnight in Zhuzhou Village (originally named Zhujiaqiu, later renamed because Emperor Qianlong had stayed there, and still home to a "Qianlong Well") of the town. There, he left behind the lament: "The thousand-year-old pavilion is nowhere to be found; for whom will future generations mourn its absence?"

Xian Guan Pavilion is also known as the "Resounding Pavilion." Legend has it that during the Sui and Tang dynasties, Luo Fengying, the sister of Luo Cheng, a general of the Wagang Army, raised troops to fight against the Sui army. The army set up camp within the territory of Xian Guan and deployed a confusing battle formation at the front line. To facilitate command and observe the enemy, Luo Fengying chose a high ground to build a pavilion similar to a beacon tower. Upon spotting the enemy, they would wave flags by day and shoot signal arrows by night. This pavilion came to be called the Resounding Pavilion. After Luo Fengying died in battle and the war ended, three sites were left behind: the Confusing Battle Formation, the Octagonal Well, and the Resounding Pavilion. Later, people settled around the Resounding Pavilion, forming a market, which then came to be known as "Resounding Pavilion Street."

It is unclear how many years passed, but in one early spring, a massive flood occurred, leaving farmers without harvest for the year and almost every household on the verge of starvation. To survive, the residents of Resounding Pavilion Street agreed to gather by the official road at the street’s entrance to cry out to the heavens for salvation. After several days of pleading with no response from the heavens or earth, their cries reached the then Magistrate of Shuyang County. He arrived with government grain to provide disaster relief to Resounding Pavilion Street, saving dozens of households from perishing. Later, to express their gratitude for the magistrate’s relief efforts, the people pooled money to build a pavilion on the site where Luo Fengying had originally erected the Resounding Pavilion and commemorated the magistrate’s disaster relief deeds on the pavilion. Once built, due to the similarity in pronunciation between “resounding” (xiǎng) and “shouting” (hǎn) in the local dialect, people began calling it “Shouting Pavilion” or “Shouting Official Pavilion.” The Shuyang County Annals record: "Xian Guan Pavilion" was originally named "Shouting Official Pavilion," though the exact origin remains unexplained.

There are other legends about the origin of the name "Xian Guan Pavilion" or "Shouting Official Pavilion," though none are verifiable. It is said that Xian Guan Pavilion was first built during the period when the Jin people overthrew the Northern Song Dynasty. The most plausible legend regarding the true origin of the name involves the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty to the Jin. After the Northern Song was destroyed by the Jin, the Ninth Prince Zhao Gou fled south to Hangzhou and established the Southern Song Dynasty, which maintained a precarious existence in the south. It is said that among the loyalists who followed Zhao Gou to the south was a man from Shandong named Shan Gong. This man fought bravely against the Jin forces on the battlefield, achieving numerous merits. Later, he was wounded and sent south for treatment. After recovering, he repeatedly requested to cross the river to fight the Jin, but since the court’s peace faction held power, his requests were denied, and he was instead appointed as magistrate of a small coastal county. Although Shan Gong came from a military background, after taking office, he channeled his passion into loving the people, devoting himself wholeheartedly to governance. In just two years, he transformed the county into a place of virtuous customs, abundant harvests, and honesty — where no one picked up lost items. His reputation for benevolence spread far and wide. However, due to overwork and exhaustion from governance, his old wounds reopened. Despite medical efforts, he passed away. On his deathbed, he told his former subordinates: “After I die, please find a way to send me back to my hometown for burial. First, so I can see my fellow villagers, and second, so I can watch for the day our lost lands are reclaimed.” His subordinates wept and pledged to fulfill his wish. After Shan Gong’s death, representatives were chosen to escort his coffin back to his hometown in Shandong.

This group of pallbearers endured countless hardships and finally arrived at a small market town north of Shuyang. Unexpectedly, heavy rain poured down, turning the roads muddy and making further travel impossible. They had no choice but to rest and take shelter from the rain here. People could find shelter, but the coffin was exposed to the rain. When the townspeople heard that the coffin held the remains of both an anti-Jin hero and a benevolent official who cared for the people, they rushed to offer firewood and lumber despite the downpour, quickly building a makeshift shelter to cover the coffin. The torrential rain continued for seven or eight days, flooding the roads and fields. The townspeople advised the pallbearers: “We’re in the middle of the rainy season in June. No one knows when the rain will stop, and even if it does, it may take days for the water to recede. Why not bury Shan Gong here, and move him back later?” The pallbearers agreed, choosing a high piece of land to bury him. On the day of digging the grave, while heavy rain poured everywhere else, not a single drop fell over this high ground. People said it was Shan Gong showing his divine presence.

After Shan Gong was buried, the area enjoyed bumper harvests for three consecutive years. Every household lived in plenty. The townspeople gathered to discuss and concluded that the favorable weather and prosperity were thanks to Shan Gong’s blessing. They thus decided to pool money to build a pavilion at the burial site in his memory. Once constructed, the pavilion was named "Xian Guan Pavilion" (a homophone also interpreted as "Shan Gong Pavilion"). Not long after the pavilion was built, Shan Gong’s tomb was relocated by his family. The once-flourishing Xian Guan Pavilion was later destroyed by war and floods.

The legend of Xian Guan Pavilion, though ethereal, has endured for ages, and its significance is

profound. It can be said that in the old society, laborers yearned for a "benevolent official to save them from suffering" just as parched seedlings thirst for rain. The various legends they created around the image of the benevolent official fully reflect the people's admiration for honest and upright officials and their longing for a better life.

The Xian Guan Pavilion seen today was spontaneously funded and built by the local townspeople in 1995. After its completion, the pavilion received recognition from veteran revolutionaries such as Zhang Aiping, Yang Chun, and Tian Shao. Supporting the people’s praise of virtuous officials was seen as respecting public sentiment. General Zhang Aiping gladly wrote the inscription for the pavilion’s name.