Ningguo Immortal Tower

Ningguo Immortal Tower

Ningguo Immortal Tower is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Immortal Tower is situated within the Immortal Tower Scenic Area on the front slope of Wuling Mountain, nestled in a roughly "V"-shaped valley at an altitude of around 1,400 meters. The valley is flanked by steep cliffs, both towering over 100 meters high. Emerging intermittently through the clouds and mist is a uniquely striking peak, abruptly rising from the mountain ridges, standing tall and upright. It resembles a sword piercing the sky, or a drum-beating divine mace, or even a learned sage in flowing robes strolling through the mountains, chanting the “majestic, perilous, and elegant” beauty of Wuling Mountain. It looks like a jade pillar of the southern heavens or a sea-stabilizing needle, piercing through clouds and mist, standing proudly against the sky. It also resembles a dignified immortal draped in soft gauze and tied with a silver sash, pointing out the past, present, and future of Wuling Mountain.

When the clouds disperse, we discover that this solitary peak is not a monolith like Chengde’s Bangchui Mountain, but rather formed naturally through the development of rock joints. The cliff walls have many natural fissures, giving the appearance of being naturally assembled from rocks of varying sizes. The peak stands independently, with no adjacent support on either side, rising abruptly from flat ground, tall and striking, like a solitary flower of the Gladiolus. The body of this unique peak is roughly quadrangular, standing 48 meters tall, with a base width of 9 meters and thickness of 5 meters. It is thick at the bottom and pointed at the top, resembling a four-cornered pagoda. The tower’s top is flat, with a large boulder resting atop it as if placed there casually—like a spire emerging from the tower. It looks man-made, yet marvelously majestic and exquisitely crafted, a rare sight indeed. Even more magical is the waterfall beneath the tower, hanging like a beaded curtain, with a nearby diagonal waterfall rushing down like flying ice and splashing jade. The contrast between stillness and motion, strength and gentleness, creates a harmonious and mutually enhancing scene. Given the rarity and wonder of this stone pagoda, the Immortal Tower is hailed as the “First Tower of Eastern Hebei.”

Protected area: 10 meters around the tower.

Construction control zone: East to a small bridge 150 meters away, then southwest along the mountain hollow to the ridge, northwest along the mountain ridge to the ridge; South to a ridge 150 meters away; West to a small bridge 130 meters away, then 70 meters north along the cement road and southeast up to the ridge, 80 meters south along the stream and then southeast along the mountain hollow to the ridge; North to a ridge 170 meters away.

Specific location: Southwest suburbs of Ningguo City

Xianxia Town: A town under the jurisdiction of Ningguo City. Established as Xianxia Township in 1952, became a commune in 1961, reverted to township in 1983, and was upgraded to a town in 1994. Located in the southeastern part of the city, 38 kilometers from downtown, bordering Zhejiang Province to the east. Covers an area of 69.8 square kilometers with a population of 13,000. National Highway 104 runs through the town. Administers nine village committees: Taiyang, Kongfu, Shenwu, Dong’an, Xianxia, Yanshan, Ruilin, Zhating, and Longting. Main agricultural products are rice; forestry products include timber, bamboo, tea, early bamboo shoots, chestnuts, green plums, and eucommia. … Xianxia Town detailed information++

Further reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units