Weishan Zhenfeng Pagoda

Weishan Zhenfeng Pagoda

Weishan is located in the northern part of the old town of Guanhaiwei, and this small 120-meter-high hill was originally named Langgang Mountain. There are two reasons for its name: first, in those days, the mountain would rise and fall with the waves, with only its pointed peak visible above the water; second, to the north of the mountain was once an expanse of ocean, where fierce tides often attacked the villages to the south without restraint, while the small hill seemed powerless to resist. People likened the hill to a dwelling place of the sea waves. The name “Weishan” was not given until the early Ming Dynasty.

Zhenfeng Pagoda is located on Tashan Ridge on the western side of Weishan. The pagoda was first built during the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty. According to the theory of Yin-Yang and the Eight Trigrams, the absence of a peak in the Qian position of the Wei fortress was believed to lead to resource depletion and a short-lived populace within the city. Therefore, the pagoda was constructed on Tashan Ridge to remedy this deficiency. There is a local story about Zhenfeng Pagoda: it is said that a feng shui master once built a slender stone pagoda on the mountain, shaped like a sheep’s hair brush. Ever since then, fires frequently broke out in Guanhaiwei, causing great unrest. Later, upon analysis, it was discovered that the tip of the pagoda pointed directly at the northern Li position in the Eight Trigram Formation of Guanhaiwei, and Li corresponds to fire in the Five Elements. “A tilted pagoda tip fans the flames higher.” Once the cause was identified, people built two stone archways on Beida Street to block the fiery tip. Though the story is bizarre, the landscape remains to this day.

During the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty, Zhenfeng Pagoda was rebuilt from a wooden structure into a stone pagoda. In the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty, the pagoda was destroyed by a hurricane. By the second year of the Jiaqing reign (1797), the pagoda was restored, but it was later destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. In 1995, the pagoda was reconstructed to its original design. It stands 15 meters tall, has six sides and seven stories, and is built from cut square stones. Its graceful form, exquisitely carved Buddha statues, and rows of copper bells add beautiful charm to the ancient town.

Behind Zhenfeng Pagoda, there is also a stone archway built during the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty, inscribed with the words “Biao Hai An Lan” (Calming the Sea and Keeping the Waves Peaceful). This historic site and the ancient pagoda together form the unique feng shui culture of Guanhaiwei.