Lun County Wenfeng Pagoda

Lun County Wenfeng Pagoda

Traveling from inland China to the Northeast, the Luanhe River Bridge in Lun County, Hebei Province, is an essential route. As the train crosses the Luanhe, looking south, one can see a range of green peaks stretching along the western bank of the river. Originally named Yanjue Mountain and commonly referred to as Yanshan, the mountain resembles a crouching tiger. Its eastern peak, reaching proudly toward the sky, forms the tiger’s head as it lets out a mighty roar; the middle section is tightly contoured, representing the tiger’s sturdy waist; the western part is round and plump, forming the tiger’s full haunch. Its shape and posture even seem to include a coiled tiger tail stretching halfway into the sky, with its front paws reaching toward the Luanhe River and its hind legs lying on the earth—hence it has long been called “Yanshan Tiger Crouch.” During the reign of Emperor Shizong of Liao (Yelü Yuan, 947–951), a pagoda was built atop the mountain. The base was constructed from layered stone, while the upper structure was made of blue bricks. The pagoda stands 20 meters tall, has 13 levels, and is triangular in shape, facing south and backed by the north. On the front is a stone-carved inscription in regular script: “Wenfeng Pagoda.” The left side is inscribed with “Soaring to the Heavens,” and the right side with “Ladder to the Clouds.” Bronze bells hang from the angles of each section of the pagoda.

Since its initial construction, Wenfeng Pagoda has a history of over 1,000 years. After the Ming Dynasty established its capital in Beijing, peace was restored across the land, education and literature were revitalized, and the imperial examination system was highly revered. However, Lunzhou (present-day Lun County) had long lagged behind culturally, with very few individuals passing the imperial exams. In the 16th year of the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty (1811), Magistrate Zhu Gaochu blamed the lack of success on the pagoda itself, saying, “Building a pagoda on the tiger’s head—isn’t that like ‘a tiger growing horns’? It’s absurd and out of place, disrupting the feng shui of the entire region. Destroying the pagoda would certainly not produce talent either.” In the first year of the Daoguang reign (1821), Magistrate Huang Kechang took office and said, “Since it is called ‘Wenfeng Pagoda,’ it is clear that it governs matters of culture and learning, in other words, it rules over ‘the scholarly achievements of the entire district.’ Removing it would be inauspicious.” Therefore, funds were raised again to rebuild it.

In truth, whether it is repaired or destroyed has nothing to do with nurturing talent. Some elders who believed in feng shui thought that “Yanshan has eighteen caves, and every cave houses a demon.” Building a pagoda at the mountaintop could suppress evil spirits. As for why the general public remembers Wenfeng Pagoda, it is simply out of nostalgia for both the natural and cultural landscape. The Luanhe River flows endlessly, the rocky tiger perches majestically, and a solitary pagoda soars into the sky, adding the finishing touch to a painted dragon—it enhances an uplifting, heavenward-reaching momentum. For many years, not only have the people of Lunzhou regarded it as a symbol of their homeland, but travelers coming to and from inland and beyond have also retained deep memories of it.

For over a hundred years, many literati, refined scholars, and passersby have climbed the mountain to admire it, including those who wrote poetry such as: “The tiger-crouching mountain peak, ageless and timeless, chosen as a scenic triumph, scaling its summit; the vast rivers and mountains lie beneath one’s eyes, as the head lifts, yearning straight for the blue sky.” On July 28, 1976, the Tangshan Earthquake destroyed Wenfeng Pagoda, leaving only one remaining section of its base.

This year, the Lun County government raised 4.4 million yuan to carry out a fourth reconstruction of Yanshan Wenfeng Pagoda, fully restoring its historical appearance from over a thousand years ago, recreating the pagoda’s former glory. The new pagoda is designed with 13 levels and eight sides, standing 32.67 meters tall, and is expected to be completed soon.