Dapingpo Water Tower

Dapingpo Water Tower

Dapingpo Water Tower is one of the major scenic spots and key cultural heritage sites under protection in Bobai County. The tower is located in Dalang Village, Chengxiang, about four kilometers southeast of the county town, and was first built in the first year of the Republic of China (1912). It is surrounded by a five-meter-wide moat and consists of four levels. The bottom level is mostly submerged in water, featuring from the outside in an arched gateway, a surrounding corridor, and inner rooms; the round archway is half-submerged, its reflection shimmering on the water surface, interlocking layers creating the illusion that the tower floats above the water, gently rippling as if hovering. The second and third levels share a layout similar to the first floor, each with five rooms, forming the main structure of the water tower; they are encircled by corridors, with 11 archways on the north and south sides, and five on the east and west. The fourth level is a decorative gatehouse situated at the center-top of the tower, adorned with a cornice emblem, and contains three rooms. There are also drawbridges (now replaced with cement pathways) on the north and south sides connecting to the second level. The water tower measures 27.62 meters in length from north to south, 15.77 meters in width from east to west, and stands 17.58 meters tall overall; the bottom-level pool extends 36.5 meters from north to south, 29.64 meters from east to west, with a water depth of 2.5 meters.

Why was the Dapingpo Water Tower built? Huang Shuying, an 80-year-old woman from Dalang Village, said: “Elders say that one year there was a black rain. After the black rain, plagues struck year after year. To ward off disasters and expel evil spirits, a wealthy landlord surnamed Li from Dayu Village raised funds and hired someone to design and build the water tower to suppress demons, which also served as a warehouse for collecting rent.” According to the Bobai County Annals · Chronicle of Events: “On the night of February 6, 1832, during the 12th year of the Daoguang reign, there was a black rain, the water as dark as diluted ink. That year, the early rice harvest was abundant.” However, the water tower was built in the first year of the Republic of China, 1912. It seems the true reason for constructing the water tower remains a subject for further research.

The architectural style of the water tower resembles that of an ancient British villa attic—majestic and rustic. This grand and distinctive European-style building stands out prominently amidst the traditional Chinese rural architecture characterized by two-courtyard compounds. As time passes, over eighty years of wind and rain have gone by, and the golden heads of rice and yellow flowers in the surrounding fields have bloomed time and again. The water tower has now aged, its surface weathered. After restoration by the Cultural Relics Management Office in 1985, the tower has regained its former charm, exuding the suave and captivating elegance of a British gentleman.