Jiangqing Tower

Jiangqing Tower

Jiangqing Tower is a national key cultural relics protection unit.

Jiangqing Tower, a national key cultural heritage site, is located on South Street in Lushan County, Ya'an City. It can be accessed by taking the Chengya Expressway to Ya'an, then transferring to the Ya'an–Lushan road. It lies approximately 30 kilometers from the city center of Ya'an. Jiangqing Tower (Pingxiang Tower) was originally constructed in the Northern Song Dynasty to honor Jiang Wei, the Marquis of Pingxiang and a renowned general of the Shu Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period. It is a significant physical relic for the study of ancient architecture, the folklore surrounding Jiang Wei, and the historical development of Nuo opera and folk drama such as Lushan Qingtan and Huadeng performances.

Jiangqing Tower faces south and is a wooden structure with a hip-and-gable roof supported by bracket sets. It features a triple-eaved design and a post-and-lintel construction. Both the southern and northern facades share the same architectural style. The building consists of a ground floor and an upper floor, with an additional waist eave encircling the structure between the two levels, giving it the appearance of a three-story building. It stands approximately 14 meters tall. The ground floor has five bays in width and depth, measuring 10 meters deep, covering a total area of 202 square meters. Thirty-eight bracket sets are installed around the upper and lower eaves, using the five-purlin system, with two intercolumnar bracket sets placed on the central bays of the front and back. The inner columns run the full height of the structure, extending up to the upper floor. The upper floor is built with a four-rafter roof supported by two columns, featuring three bays in width. The outer waist eave surrounds a flat terrace and railing, allowing visitors to enjoy the view from the balcony.

During the Shu Han period, Lushan served as the capital of the Hanjia Commandery, a frontier region of the Shu Kingdom. Legend has it that Jiang Wei stationed troops here to guard the border against the Qiang people, received his fiefdom, and was eventually buried here with great honor. Numerous historical sites remain, including Jiang City and Jiang Wei’s Tomb. Over the generations, the local people have revered Jiang Wei, and Pingxiang Tower became the site where local officials presided over ceremonies in his honor, as well as the center for performances. By the Qing Dynasty, the tower had become the main venue for Nuo opera rituals dedicated to worshipping Jiang Wei, known as Qingtan performances. Gradually, the tower came to be called Jiangqing Tower.