General Ling Tower

General Ling Tower

General Ling Tower is located in the central area of the Wetland Park west of Modaohe Village. It is an octagonal brick pagoda built in imitation of wooden structures, featuring a visible seven-story but actually nine-story design.

The tower stands directly on a one-meter-high platform, with a total height of 36 meters and a maximum diameter of 9.9 meters. The front of the first floor inside the tower houses a statue of General Yang Ling, with a statue of Lady Sheji on the side. Starting from the second floor, the structure is designed with hollowed-out interlayers and spiral staircases that allow visitors to ascend and enjoy views from each level. Each inner wall layer is built with arched niches, within which 39 figures from the Yang Family Generals are sculpted, including General Yang’s sons, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, and the female generals of the Yang clan. The outer walls of the niches are fully painted with 37 murals depicting classic stories of the Yang Family Generals.

The tower structure is made entirely of traditional brickwork. The exterior bricks and bracket sets are crafted from traditional handmade green bricks, while modern machine-made bricks are used for the inner layers, achieving the authentic traditional Chinese aesthetic and comprehensive effect of a wooden-style brick pagoda.

The tower was funded by Shanxi Zhifengshan Coal Industry Co., Ltd. and constructed by Pingyao County Ancient Architecture Engineering Co., Ltd. Construction began in March 2012 and was completed in March 2013.