Tian Tower

Tian Tower

Located 100 meters east of Tian Tower Village, Datianji Town. This tower is built of stone and features a simple and dignified design. During the Cultural Revolution, the top two tiers were destroyed, leaving six visible tiers above ground, standing approximately 5.5 meters high. The underground portion has not been excavated. The lowest tier, closest to the ground, is about half submerged, containing a tower chamber facing south with a depth of around one meter. Clearing away the accumulated soil reveals stone carvings on both the eastern and western walls. The eastern wall features shallow-relief carvings of three Buddha statues, with inscriptions on either side: on the right, “Offered by the Sacred Martial Emperor of the Great Tang in the Kaiyuan Era,” and on the left, “This Buddha was offered in worship by the Emperor of the Great Tang in the Kaiyuan Era.” There was once a grand temple complex here, which was destroyed in warfare in the early 20th century.

Source: Heze Municipal Office of Local Chronicles