Xixian Qiaolou

Xixian Qiaolou

The Qing Dynasty Jiāqìng-era *Xixian Annals* record that the Qiaolou was built in the first year of the Yuánzhēn era (1295) during the Yuan Dynasty by Wū Gōng (name unknown), the Assistant Prefect of Xizhou, but it was later destroyed in war. In the fourth year of the Ming Dynasty's Wànlì era (1576), it was rebuilt by Magistrate Wáng Yòngbīn, and later restored by Magistrate Hóu Bāngzhèn of the Qing Jiāqìng era. Thereafter, the Qiaolou fell into long-term disrepair and was nearly collapsed, with only the remaining archway left. In 1984, the county government carried out a restoration in an antique style. The restored Qiaolou stands 9 meters tall and covers an area of 414.5 square meters. The structure features double eaves, and is built with a combination of brick, wood, and concrete, topped with green-glazed tiles and carved ridges, while the base consists of brick-and-stone construction. The central archway was originally the main gate of the ancient state yamen. The entire building has three bays, corridors on all four sides, red pillars and green rafters, embellished with glazed tiles, upturned eaves, hanging wind chimes, and roof ridge ornaments in the shape of beasts with beaks pointing to the sky. The front is adorned with decorative flower gates, while the rear wall has hollow diamond-shaped windows. On April 11, 1985, the Qiaolou was designated as a county-level key cultural relic protection unit. In 1995, the county government carried out another renovation of the Qiaolou, widening and heightening the archway. The then-county party secretary was Cháng Fǎwǔ.