Shaowu Juque Tower

Shaowu Juque Tower

Shaowu Juque Tower is a cultural relic protection unit of Fujian Province.

Juque Tower

Year built: Ming Dynasty

Location: Heping Village, Heping Town, Shaowu City

Juque Tower: Situated atop a hill about 1.5 km south of Heping Village, Heping Town, Shaowu City, Nanping, Fujian Province, also known as "Kui Guang Tower" and commonly called "Ju Guang Tower." Built between the 40th year of the Wanli era (1616) of the Ming Dynasty and the early Chongzhen era, and renovated in 1990. It is a five-story, hexagonal pavilion-style brick tower, standing 17 meters tall with a total area of 122.7 square meters. The base is constructed from huilü (bluish-green) stone. Each level features an arched gate with alternating placements. The lintels bear inscriptions, with the bottom gate inscribed in semi-cursive script: "Autumn Month, Auspicious Day, 1st Year of Tianqi (1621). Juque Tower. Erected by Yuan Chonghuan, Presented Scholar and Magistrate of Shaowu County." Each of the five sides of the tower walls on every level is fitted with arched niches housing Buddhist statues and floral carvings in stone relief. The eaves are built with layered bricks and stone slabs, and the tower is crowned with a gourd-shaped finial. Inside, there are stone steps spiraling to the top. Each level has niches with inscriptions. The flooring and beams are made of wood. This tower is a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit.

The tower is well-preserved with an intact structure, reflecting the historical prosperity of Buddhism in northern Fujian, embodying local folklore and cultural heritage, and serving as a carrier of ancient northern Fujian’s sculptural art.

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