West Street Tower

West Street Tower

A street-crossing tower is a relatively common form of ancient Chinese architecture, evolved from structures such as city gates and passes, typically built at village entrances or mountain passes that pedestrians must pass through. These towers flourished during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Street-crossing towers are rare in Fenghua. It is reported that the Xijin Street-Crossing Tower is the only one in Fenghua, situated on the slightly elevated Xijie Lingdun, oriented east-west, directly facing County Front Street (named for its location in front of the former government office), adjacent to Airlu.

Locals in Fenghua commonly refer to this street-crossing tower as “Xijie Lingdun.” The *Fenghua County Place Names Record* states: “Xijie… starts from San Yan Jing at the intersection of Nanda Road in the east, passes through Xijin Tower (commonly called Xijie Lingdun) to Xijin Primary School in the west…” Xijin Tower is the street-crossing tower. In memory, the name “Xijin Tower” was also rarely heard.

The name “street-crossing tower” emerged quite late. In October 2003, when the Municipal Bureau of Culture and Sports compiled a list of cultural heritage protection sites, it first designated “Xijie Lingdun” as a “street-crossing tower.” Perhaps people did not previously consider “Xijie Lingdun” as a type of street-crossing tower architecture, or the concept of a street-crossing tower did not exist at all, hence it had never been accurately named. The 1983 edition of the *Fenghua County Place Names Record* also did not mention the term “street-crossing tower.” Now, renaming Xijie Lingdun as a street-crossing tower undoubtedly gives it an appropriate designation.

Nevertheless, the name “Xijie Lingdun” has continued to be used. There are still many who do not know that “Xijie Lingdun” should be called a street-crossing tower—in fact, a street-crossing tower is just a general term for a specific type of building, and using the generic term “street-crossing tower” to refer solely to this particular structure is clearly inappropriate. Adding a qualifier such as “Xijie Lingdun” or “Xijin” might be more accurate. For a building, such a name is, after all, a singular and specific reference. But then again, because this tower is unique in Fenghua, calling it a street-crossing tower is no problem. In fact, it further highlights the historical and cultural value of the street-crossing tower.

It is worth mentioning that Xijie Lingdun is a place name with geographical features, and locals in Fengcheng have long been accustomed to using this place name to refer to the building itself. When one mentions “Xijie Lingdun,” people instinctively associate it with the actual object it denotes. The transition from the place name to the image of the building is very natural and interesting. This shows that the image of the Xijin Street-Crossing Tower, standing through wind and rain for a century, is deeply rooted in people’s hearts.

The Xijin Street-Crossing Tower was built in the mid-to-late Qing Dynasty. It is a two-story building with double eaves and a hip-and-gable roof, modeled after a city gate. The eaves on each corner of the tower curl upwards, exuding a solemn aura. The first floor spans the street, with side rooms on both the left and right, each having an east and west door. A narrow, steep spiral staircase inside the side rooms leads to the upper floor. The second floor has windows on all sides, offering a view of the streets within the city and the distant hills and fields outside.

Judging by its geographical location, the Xijin Street-Crossing Tower must have had a period of glory, splendor, and prestige. It was once the most prominent high point in Fenghua’s urban area. The terrain of Fenghua’s urban area generally slopes from west to east, a feature that has remained unchanged throughout history. According to the urban map recorded in the *Fenghua County Illustrated Chronicles* from the Ming Dynasty’s Jiajing era, aside from Guanshan in the northwest corner of the city, Xijie Lingdun should be considered the highest point in the urban area. At the time, the main part of the county town was located around what is now Chenglixiang. The *Ningbo Prefecture Chronicles* from the Jiajing era record: In the 34th year of Jiajing (1555), Magistrate Xiao Wanhu built a city wall 3 li north of Baohua Mountain. “Fenghua City is backed by Jinping, faces Yiji (now Baohua Mountain), bordered by Daze (likely referring to the County River) on the left, and adjacent to Fengshan on the right… with four gates: the eastern gate called Ying’en, the western gate Shuncheng, the southern gate Zhenming, and the northern gate Qifeng.” The city wall roughly covered the area extending from Dongmenkou in the east to Nanmentou in the south, Xijin Primary School (formerly the City God Temple site) in the west, and Beimen Street in the north. Though not large, it constituted the entire urban area of Fenghua. After the Ming Dynasty, although the city walls of Fenghua were expanded and renovated multiple times, the urban area boundaries largely remained unchanged. By the mid-to-late Qing Dynasty, when the street-crossing tower stood tall on Xijie Lingdun, it naturally became the tallest building in the county town at the time.

The Xijin Street-Crossing Tower is located in the political, economic, and cultural center of the ancient county town of Fenghua, surrounded by buildings such as the county government office, City God Temple, and schools. The Xijin Stream, which flows gently at the foot of the street-crossing tower, is the main river in the urban area. Entering from the West Water Gate, passing by the City God Temple and Xijie Ridge, and exiting through the East Water Gate, the stream served as an important source of drinking water for residents of Fenghua at the time. One can imagine that back then, the Xijin Street-Crossing Tower proudly towered over the densely populated and bustling center of the county town. Amidst a cluster of low-rise buildings with gray tiles and earthen walls, its vermilion-painted railings and upturned eaves made it majestic and radiant. During festivals, citizens would climb the tower to overlook the surroundings and point out the various parts of Fengcheng—a scene that must have been lively and magnificent.

Times have changed, and today the Xijin Street-Crossing Tower has been submerged in the tide of development. Due to prolonged exposure to wind and rain without proper maintenance, the tower’s eaves are damaged, roof tiles and rafters are scattered, walls are cracked, and doors and windows hang open. Moreover, due to long-term neglect, the tower now has makeshift sheds built around it, villagers living in it, cables running across it, and banners draped over it, giving off an overall impression of dilapidation and decay.

This century-old street-crossing tower resembles an elderly person—aged, fragile, and at the mercy of others. Its former grandeur and majesty have vanished. A clear lacquer wooden plaque inscribed with “Fenghua City Cultural Heritage Protection Site” hangs on the eastern wall, serving as little more than a band-aid for the tower.

As a landmark ancient building in Fenghua’s old urban district, the Xijin Street-Crossing Tower holds far greater historical and cultural value than practical utility such as providing shelter from wind and rain. Its significance is irreplaceable by any other structure.

Currently, the Xijin Street-Crossing Tower has drawn attention from relevant departments and has been designated as a “Fenghua City Cultural Heritage Protection Site.” According to leaders from the Municipal Cultural Heritage Protection Office, they had once raised funds to renovate the tower, but the project was halted due to the overly complex surrounding building conditions that posed significant obstacles. Efforts to rescue the tower are still ongoing.