Lipu Wen Tower

Lipu Wen Tower

Lipu Wen Tower is a cultural relic protection unit of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Lipu Wen Tower is located on a riverside rocky outcrop to the southeast of Lipu County. The base covers an area of 88.9 square meters, with a diameter of 10.64 meters. The tower is an octagonal, seven-story brick-and-wood structure standing 33.4 meters tall, topped with a gourd-shaped finial. Its eaves are adorned with painted murals,

and inlaid with colored glazed tiles both above and below. Each floor has colorfully sculpted lions and qilin at the corners, while the main gate pillars are decorated with a design of two dragons fighting over a pearl. All eight sides feature wind vents, with inscriptions about the tower at the top of each. The body of the tower is built from blue bricks, with joints pointed using clear mortar. The foundation consists of a natural rocky outcrop, and the construction craftsmanship is exquisite.

Historical records indicate that Lipu Tower was originally called Wen Tower. During the Southern Song Dynasty, there was once a Kuixing Tower built here. In the 14th year of the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty (1519), scholar Zhang Xian erected a Kuixing Pavilion here to worship the God of Literature. Later, the pavilion collapsed due to thunderstorms. It was rebuilt in the 48th year of the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty (1709). In the 48th year of the Qianlong era (1783), the Wenchang Tower was constructed here with five stories, the uppermost being the Kuixing Pavilion, which housed a statue of the Kuixing deity. In the 5th year of the Guangxu era (1879), Magistrate Zhou Wang added two more stories, making it a seven-story Wen Tower. At the same time, another seven-story tower was built on Changsheng Ridge, facing the Wen Tower across the river,

forming a pair symbolic of a writing brush.

The tower on Changsheng Ridge was demolished in 1943 when a middle school was built. Lipu Tower, suffering from years of disrepair and lightning strikes, had its structure crack. In 1957, the county government allocated special funds for its restoration. During the Cultural Revolution, Lipu Tower was subjected to man-made damage. In August 1981,

the tower was designated as a cultural relic protection unit of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, after which a comprehensive renovation of Lipu Tower was carried out.