Hepu Kuixing Tower

Hepu Kuixing Tower

Hepu Kuixing Tower is a cultural relic protection unit of Hepu County.

Kuixing Tower, originally named Kuwen Pavilion and commonly known as the Bell Tower, is located on Wenwei Road in Lianzhou Middle School within Lianzhou, Hepu County. It was built in the 18th year of the Qianlong reign during the Qing Dynasty (1753) and destroyed in the 60th year of Qianlong (1795). It was rebuilt on the original site in the first year of the Daoguang reign (1821). The pavilion enshrined the god Kuwen Star.

Kuixing refers to the four stars among the Big Dipper that form the shape of a dipper. It is the deity in ancient Chinese mythology who governs the rise and fall of literary fortunes. The Kuixing Pavilion houses a statue of the Kuixing deity and was originally only open to those who had achieved scholarly honors for worship—those without official academic degrees were not allowed to pay homage. After the imperial examination system was abolished and modern schools were established in the late Qing Dynasty, an ancient bell was hung on the upper floor to serve as the school’s class signal, hence it was also commonly known as the “Bell Tower.” In 1981, Kuixing Tower was listed as a county-level key cultural relic protection unit in Hepu.

The pavilion is a three-story square tower with a pointed roof, standing 15 meters tall, with a base side length of 4.75 meters and an area of about 22.6 square meters. The ground floor features a stone foundation, with eaves columns surrounding the corridor. There are two arched gates on the north and south sides. The second floor has square windows on all four walls, while the third floor has square windows on the east and west sides and round windows on the north and south sides—all with blue ceramic glass. Inside the tower are two Qing Dynasty stone carvings. The roof is covered with glazed tiles, featuring upturned eaves at the four corners topped with lion statues, phoenix statues standing on the eaves, and a gourd-shaped finial atop the pavilion. Kuixing Tower faces the river and, to its south, originally stood the Ningbo Pavilion; to the east were the Shrine of the Departed, Yangjiang Pavilion, and Fubi Pavilion; and to the west were the Fenghai Tower and Dizhu Pavilion, among other structures.

In 2005, on the centennial anniversary of Hepu Lianzhou Middle School, alumni funded the reconstruction of Kuixing Tower, giving the entire building a fresh and beautiful appearance. The restoration funds for Kuixing Tower were donated by some insightful and philanthropic individuals from Hepu. Thanks to their generous contributions, Kuixing Tower was able to regain its former grandeur.

On September 5, 1981, the Hepu County People’s Government designated Kuixing Tower as a county-level cultural relic protection unit.

Lianzhou Town: Located by the Beibu Gulf, Lianzhou Town is the seat of the Hepu County government and the political, economic, and cultural center of Hepu. The town covers an area of 229 square kilometers, governs 29 village (residential) committees, has a cultivated land area of 4,047.3 hectares, and had a population of 150,000 at the end of 2001, making it the largest town in Hepu County. National Highways 325 and 209, the North-South Second-Class Highway, and expressways pass through the town. It is only 16 kilometers from Beihai International Airport, 30 kilometers from Beihai Port, and the Qinzhou-Beihai Railway has a station in the southern suburbs of Lianzhou. With convenient sea, land, and air transportation, its geographical advantages are very prominent.

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