Luxi Xingwen Pagoda

Luxi Xingwen Pagoda

Luxi Xingwen Pagoda is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangxi Province.

Xingwen Pagoda is located on the east bank of the Yuan River in Miaoxia Group, Chayuan Village, Xuanfeng Town, Luxi County, Pingxiang City. It is a municipal-level key cultural relics protection unit.

The pagoda was built in the 29th year of the Daoguang reign (1849) during the Qing Dynasty. It is an octagonal, seven-story brick-and-stone structure in the pavilion style, standing 35 meters tall and covering a ground area of 31.4 square meters. The first floor has an interior space of over 20 square meters, and its walls are built from bluestone one meter thick. The west-facing entrance features an arched gate with the three large characters “Xingwen Pagoda” (兴文塔) carved above the lintel. Starting from the second floor, each level symmetrically has four doorways, and each floor is adorned with an octagonal eave made of carved stone blocks. Each corner is fitted with an upward-curving crane-crest stone shelf, which holds copper bells. The structure is built with white bricks and bluestone. According to the "Zhao Ping Zhi Lue" (Annals of Zhao and Ping), it was funded by the county magistrate of Pingxiang in the Guimao year of the Daoguang reign and supervised by the scholar-official Ao Xinghuang. The name “Xingwen” (literally “Prosper Literature”) symbolizes the flourishing of culture and literature.

In October 1984, the pagoda was listed as a municipal-level key cultural relics protection unit.

Additional Information:

Xingwen Pagoda is situated on the banks of the Yuan River in Miaoxia Village, Xuanfeng Town, Luxi County. Built in the 29th year of the Daoguang reign (1849) during the Qing Dynasty, it has a history of over 150 years. Funded by the county magistrate of Pingxiang and supervised by the scholar-official Ao Xinghuang, it is described in a poem: “The towering pagoda brushes the clouds, dotting the blue sky; its literary peak locks the two rivers.” The pagoda stands 35 meters high, covers a ground area of 31.4 square meters, and has an interior space of 21.25 square meters on the first floor, making it the tallest ancient pagoda in Pingxiang.

To the east of the pagoda lies Miaoxia Village, to the west are vast farmlands, to the south is a green mountain with Chayuan Village at its foot, and to the north is the Yuan River. The pagoda is 35 meters tall with seven stories and eight sides. The first floor is constructed from approximately 3-meter-thick, 5-meter-long bluestones—thick, long, not wide, but solid and sturdy, all hewn from massive rock. The upper floors are built with white clay bricks. Each floor is crowned with an octagonal eave made of carved stone, and each corner features an upward-curving crane-crest stone shelf. Each level has four solidified window vents, and the top is shaped like a gourd. The pagoda is built with remarkable neatness and beauty, with the gaps between bricks and stones sealed using a mortar paste made of tung oil, glutinous rice, and lime, ensuring a very strong bond. The main entrance faces west, the upper part of the door is semi-circular, and above the lintel are carved the three large characters “Xingwen Pagoda.”

According to the "Pingxiang County Annals" from the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty: “Xingwen Pagoda is located to the right of Longshan Temple in Yanzhan Township, 35 li from the city. It is the lock of the East River. Behind the pagoda is the Bifeng Villa. In the 29th year of the Daoguang reign (1849), the local gentry Ao Xinghuang initiated its construction.” Ao Xinghuang was a native of Xuanfeng. He passed the imperial examination and earned the title of jinshi (advanced scholar) in the 16th year of the Daoguang reign (1836), and later served as Tongzhi (vice prefect) of Hejian Prefecture. With his enthusiastic advocacy, the villagers united to build Xingwen Pagoda, and since then, the beautiful reflection of the pagoda has graced the waters of the Yuan River. Ao Xinghuang, erudite and eloquent, named the pagoda “Xingwen,” clearly expressing the intention to promote cultural prosperity. Its location by the Yuan River may also imply the function of “locking the water” to prevent flooding.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units