Fuyang Wenfeng Pagoda

Fuyang Wenfeng Pagoda

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

Wenfeng Pagoda is located near Yingzhou Road, a major thoroughfare in downtown Fuyang. Historical records indicate that because the Kuixing Tower was not tall enough, the literary star was not prominently displayed, leading to a lack of cultural vibrancy and scholarly achievements in the area. In the 35th year of the Kangxi reign (1796), Wenfeng Pagoda was built here to revitalize Fuyang’s literary culture. The pagoda is entirely constructed of brick, has seven stories and an octagonal shape, and stands 31.8 meters tall. Each level contains a central chamber; the first floor has a single chamber with the north entrance serving as the stairway entry, featuring a spiral staircase that extends to the top. The first, third, fifth, and seventh floors each have four arched doorways on their four sides; the second, fourth, and sixth floors each have three doorways on the south, west, and east sides. The pagoda features a dense-eave pavilion style, with each level showcasing corbelled eaves supported by brick-carved bracket sets that mimic wooden structures. The top features ridged corners with three-tiered bead-like pinnacles, and an iron five-pronged finial runs through the spire, giving the structure a simple yet solemn appearance.

Both Wenfeng Pagoda and Kuixing Tower are situated in the southeast corner of the city, known as the Xun direction. According to the *Illustrated Praise of the Classic of Mountains and Seas*, “When the earth lacks the Xun support, the sky misses the Qian corner.” Fuyang’s terrain is higher in the northwest and lower in the southeast. As recorded in the *Yingzhou Annals*, feng shui scholars believed that the low and damp southeast caused the earth’s energy to dissipate, making it difficult to nurture talent. Therefore, a pagoda was needed to stabilize the area. The *Book of Changes* (*I Ching*) describes the Xun trigram as representing wind: “Following the wind, Xun.” The commentary explains: “Since the wind follows, nothing is unyielding.” According to Confucian scholars, Xun is the domain of literature, and the pagoda resembles a brush standing upright. Hence, it is called “Wenfeng Pagoda,” or the Literary Pagoda.

Wenfeng Pagoda is related to both “literature” and rich in Taoist symbolism. Some of its brick carvings depict symbols of good fortune such as deer (longevity), ganoderma (lingzhi mushrooms), dragons, and phoenixes; there are also the carp leaping over the dragon gate sought by scholars, as well as yin-yang fish patterns. These provide vivid and valuable insights into the ideological consciousness, aesthetic psychology, and historical aspects of the time. In short, this type of pagoda is what was traditionally referred to as a feng shui pagoda.

Protected area: 5 meters beyond the pagoda’s base railing.

Construction control zone: 100 meters beyond the protected area.

Address: No. 10, Linta Road, Yingzhou District