Jiangxin Island Haoran Tower

Jiangxin Island Haoran Tower

Jiangxin Island Haoran Tower is a Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Jiangxin Island Haoran Tower is located on the east side of the Wen Tianxiang Memorial Temple on Jiangxin Island in Lucheng District. The tower was originally situated in front of the Wen Tianxiang Memorial Temple but was rebuilt and relocated to its current site in the 38th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1773). According to the Guangxu-era "Yongjia County Annals", it was named after the line “In men we see this moral force, filling the boundless space” from Wen Tianxiang’s "Song of Righteousness". Another theory suggests the name "Haoran" is derived from the phrase in "Mencius · Gongsun Chou I": “I am good at nourishing my vast, flowing vital force”; yet another says it was built in honor of Tang Dynasty poet Meng Haoran, who visited Jiangxin Island. In the 59th year of the Qianlong reign (1794), Qin Ying, the regional intendant of Wenzhou, felt that using the name of a revered sage for the tower was inappropriate and renamed it "Meng Tower". It was restored in the first year of the Guangxu reign (1875) and reverted to the name "Haoran Tower".

Facing south and overlooking the Ou River, Jiangxin Island Haoran Tower is a two-story wooden structure with seven interior columns in depth and three bays in width. The first floor features a corridor with carved balustrades. A garden lies to the north of the tower, with the administrator’s living quarters in the northwest corner connected to the Wen Tianxiang Memorial Temple. Originally built in the 8th year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty (1580) by Regional Intendant Wu Zixin and Prefectural Assistant Liu Zhengheng, it was named Haoran Tower and later restored during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty. The building is a three-bay double-eaved hip-and-gable roof wooden structure, described as having “flying eaves and bracket sets, with winding railings and upturned balustrades”, and takes the form of a raised pavilion-style tower. From its upper level, one can enjoy panoramic views of the Ou River. The plaque reads “The River City Is Like a Painting”, and the couplet—“Green hills border the old town, white waters circle the city walls; the lone isle and great river frame twin pagodas. Setting moon over lotus blooms, evening breeze through willows—this tower links two poets across timeless ages”—was composed and inscribed by Li Zong?, an imperial education inspector during the Qianlong era.

Jiangxin Island Haoran Tower was listed among the first batch of Wenzhou Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Units in 1981.

Protection Level: Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit

Period: Qing Dynasty

Category: Ancient Architecture

Protected Area: The boundary extends 1 meter outward from the platform steps on the east, west, and north sides; on the south side, it extends 2 meters outward from the platform steps.

Building Control Zone: On the west and north sides, it is bounded by the southern edge of the walking paths within Jiangxin Island Scenic Area (starting from the front of the Bonsai Garden on the west, to the north shore of BiBo Lake, then to Xiaofei Hong, and arriving at Laixue Pavilion); on the northeast, it is bounded by the southern shore of the water area leading from Gongqing Lake to the Ou River; on the southeast, it is bounded by the Ou River embankment.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units