Pingtan Beacon Tower

Pingtan Beacon Tower

The Pingtan Beacon Tower is widely renowned in Yangquan City and is the only beacon tower included in the "Ancient Fortresses and Sites" project of the *Yangquan Encyclopedia*.

The Pingtan Beacon Tower is situated on the ancient road west of Pingtanjie Village on the north bank of the Tao River, now to the east of the Pingtanjie Primary School in the mining area. It has a square prism shape, standing over ten meters tall, with the top side about six meters and the bottom side about nine meters. It was built using river stones from the Tao River. Legend has it that it was first constructed during the Shang Dynasty and rebuilt during the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty. Before 1997, it was the best-preserved beacon tower in Yangquan City.

Beacon towers used smoke signals during the day and fire signals at night, with each tower lit in succession. They were only used in special circumstances such as foreign invasions or emergencies in the capital, serving as military facilities for transmitting war information in ancient times.

The typical distance between beacon towers was “one mound every five li, one tower every ten li,” ensuring visibility between towers to prevent mistaken signaling. The beacon towers in the Tao River area were centered around the Pingtan Beacon Tower, extending westward to Shibu Zui, Saiyu, Xinxing, and Ceshi, and eastward to Quan and Yijing, forming a continuous line. The Pingtan Beacon Tower was constructed with strict material selection—each layer of stones was uniform in size, and the center of the tower was compacted with a mixture of yellow earth and white lime. Deep shovel marks reveal its remarkable hardness. One side of the tower features a brick-lined drainage channel running from top to bottom, allowing rainwater on the top to flow down smoothly without pooling. Both its design and construction ensured the tower’s durability.

On the west wall inside the courtyard of the Ma Wang Temple, there was originally a small stone tablet specifically erected to establish the ownership of two wells located north of the beacon tower, inscribed with the four large characters “Yong Wei Gong Yong” (Forever for Public Use). Thanks to this ancestral rule, the two wells have always been shared by all villagers. The village had only one source of sweet drinking water, and everyone came here to draw water. In summer, people also cooled off near the beacon tower. Naturally, the villagers became the guardians of the beacon tower, passing on this duty through generations and inadvertently fostering an awareness of protecting historical relics. This is also the key reason why the beacon tower has remained so well preserved.

In ancient times, the Pingtan Beacon Tower was the tallest structure along the banks of the Tao River. From the top of Lion Head Mountain, it was the most prominent landmark. Situated along the main road to the capital, travelers coming from the west would feel relieved upon seeing the beacon tower, as if the city of Pingding were just within reach. Those heading toward Taiyuan, after leaving Pingtanjie, would look up at the beacon tower and feel reinvigorated and full of confidence. Travelers from all directions would stop here to rest. Pingtanjie naturally developed into a bustling market street, and the beacon tower became a landmark along the ancient road, as well as one of the iconic structures of Pingtanjie. A poem describes it thus: “A relic of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, the beacon tower stands tall and proud on the western street of the village. It draws the gaze of future generations, and from it comes laughter worth a thousand pieces of gold.”

In 1937, the Japanese army occupied Pingtanjie, building barracks, a hospital, and military camps in the northern part of the village. They also attempted to control the beacon tower, a strategic high point, to set up a watch post and monitor the village. The Japanese commander Ono sent four Chinese collaborators to probe the villagers’ reaction, but the village head, Jing Jitai, firmly and righteously refused. Fearing public outrage, the Japanese did not bring up the matter again. After Japan’s surrender, Yan Xishan incorporated the remaining Japanese and puppet forces stationed in Pingtanjie into the Fifth Brigade. In 1947, when Yangquan was liberated, the Fifth Brigade retreated to Lion Head Mountain to resist. They harbored ill intentions toward Pingtanjie and, seeing the red flag flying proudly atop the beacon tower, wanted to destroy it—but their artillery could not reach it. Once Lion Head Mountain was completely surrounded, the Fifth Brigade was trapped. Wang Fanglin, a villager from Pingtanjie, volunteered to deliver the final ultimatum to the mountain at great personal risk. With no way out, the Fifth Brigade surrendered. Wang Fanglin became a hero of the liberation of Yangquan and was commended by the People’s Government. The red flag, firmly planted on the beacon tower, symbolized the complete victory of Yangquan’s liberation.