Xuanxi Pagoda

Xuanxi Pagoda

Xuanxi Pagoda is a cultural heritage site protected by Huangshan City.

Xuanxi Pagoda is located in Xuanxi Village, Kecun Township, Yi County. It was originally built in the first year of the Qianlong reign during the Qing Dynasty (1736), and was renovated in the first year of the Xianfeng reign (1851 AD). This ancient architectural structure is a combination of brick, wood, and stone, with brick as the main material. The pagoda stands about seven zhang tall, has a hexagonal floor plan, and consists of five tiers that gradually taper toward the top, with layered eaves and upturned corners. The top is shaped like a spire, adorned with a colorful porcelain gourd, making the pagoda appear even more majestic, elegant, and exquisitely crafted. The base is built from stone blocks, with a circumference of over six zhang. On the ground floor, facing the road, there is a round arched doorway, above which are inscribed four large characters: 溪山钟秀 (meaning "The Streams and Mountains Gather Elegance"). The interior of the pagoda is hollow, with passageways along the inner and outer walls and staircases made of bricks, totaling 48 steps spiraling upward. Visitors can climb up via these staircases to reach the top. Each level inside the pagoda contains a niche enshrining sculpted or painted Buddha statues, with three sides featuring round arched windows.

Directly opposite Xuanxi Pagoda stands a three-room temple known as Dafu Nunnery, with the central hall housing a large Buddha statue. Between August and September 1934, the South Anhui Guerrilla Unit launched an attack on a puppet conscription unit here. The warning written in the blood of the traitor Sun Zhigao, which was inscribed on the pagoda at that time, can still be faintly seen today. Although Dafu Nunnery has long since disappeared, the simple yet vigorous Xuanxi Pagoda still stands firmly.

Xuanxi Pagoda has been designated as a cultural heritage site protected by Huangshan City.