Wu Gong Tower

Wu Gong Tower

Wu Gong Tower is a cultural relic protection unit of Hunan Province.

Wu Gong Tower

Dating back to the Qing Dynasty, it is located in Zixi Town, Dong’an County, Hunan Province, and is one of the well-preserved brick-and-stone towers from the Qing era.

The tower was first built in the 14th year of the Qianlong reign (1749) and completed in the 17th year (1752). It was named “Wu Gong Tower” in honor of the achievements of Magistrate Wu Derun.

The tower is built of brick and stone in a pavilion style, standing 30 meters tall with a base of 11 meters. It has seven stories and eight sides, with six inner levels. Each level features windows, doors, flat terraces, and stone railings, allowing visitors to climb and enjoy distant views. Inside the tower, stone steps spiral up to the top. The floor plan is ingeniously designed with internal connecting corridors, a domed ceiling on the fifth level, and octagonal brick pillars on the fifth and sixth levels that run through the spire. These are topped with a precious finial, with light shining directly into the tower chamber, integrating the fifth and sixth levels with the spire. The sixth level wraps around the octagonal pillar via arched gateways and flat terraces, offering railing-supported views where mountain and landscape scenery stretch as far as the eye can see. The spire is made of stone, intricately carved, and also serves a lightning protection function. The stone finial and decorative rings are exquisitely crafted, making them truly rare.

Although it has withstood over two hundred years of wind and rain, the tower remains well-preserved, standing tall and graceful. Its unique structure makes it a model of Qing-era ancient towers and a valuable physical resource for studying the architectural culture and history of Yongzhou in the mid-Qing period.

On May 19, 2002, it was designated as a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit by the People’s Government of Hunan Province, with the designation number 64-23.