Huoshan Wenfeng Pagoda

Huoshan Wenfeng Pagoda

Huoshan Wenfeng Pagoda is a cultural relic protection unit of Anhui Province.

Also known as the South Pagoda, Wenfeng Pagoda is located about one kilometer southeast of Huoshan County and is the only ancient pagoda in the county. The pagoda stands by the Youfang River atop the hill of Luosi Platform, the highest point in the area. Surrounded by open space and offering expansive views, it commands a panoramic scene of the surrounding landscape. Indeed, this towering pagoda, set against the scenic mountainous town, creates a picturesque scene. A historical poem celebrating the view reads: “The winding green stream embraces Luosi Platform; the white pagoda and red bridge open like a painted screen; heading south, one senses the approach of Dragon Well, as living clouds fly out from Stone Gate.” (Dragon Well and Stone Gate are place names)

According to the Guangxu-era Huoshan County Annals: “There was an old pagoda on Luosi Platform, which a former county magistrate destroyed due to the words of a geomancer. In the second year of the Daoguang reign, Magistrate Zhu Shida rebuilt it.” Why is it called “Wenfeng” (Literary Peak)? The Wenfeng Pagoda Inscription explains: “It is named after the Confucian school and academy.” Therefore, unlike ordinary Buddhist pagodas, it is a structure symbolizing that “outstanding people originate from spiritually propitious land; to foster culture, one must cultivate the land’s energy,” serving as a pagoda that “holds vital feng shui significance, standing as a symbolic guardian of the mountain city.” An inscription embedded in the base of the pagoda reads: “A seven-tiered tower rises from the earth and touches the clouds; its majestic form inspires cultural flourishing.” It symbolizes the idea of “continuous scholarly pursuit and the radiant glow of literary excellence.”

The pagoda is built with brick and stone, featuring a solid core and closely stacked eaves. It has six sides with sharp angles, seven tiers, and an elegant and graceful form. At the top sits a gourd-shaped finial that pierces the sky, creating a magnificent sight. The pagoda is 21 meters tall, with the first tier having a circumference of 22 meters, and the base covering an area of 16 square meters. Each level of the pagoda is inscribed with poems and calligraphy by notable figures of the time. The edges are inlaid with carvings of figures, mythical beasts, and decorative patterns, all exquisitely designed.

Approved by Huoshan County, it was listed as a county-level key cultural relic protection unit in 1983.

Protected area: The main body of the pagoda and its base, extending five meters outward to the east, south, west, and north.

Construction control zone: Beyond the protected area, extending 120 meters east to the hillside, 35 meters south to the farmland, 40 meters west to Wenfeng Bridge, and 30 meters north to Wenfeng Square.