Meizhou Yuankui Pagoda

Meizhou Yuankui Pagoda

Meizhou Yuankui Pagoda is a cultural relic protection unit of Guangdong Province.

Yuankui Pagoda, commonly known as Songkou Pagoda, is located in Tongpan Village in the lower reaches of the Meijiang River, about 8 kilometers from Songkou Town, Meixian District. It was initiated by Li Erhe, a Hanlin academician and tutor to the crown prince in the late Ming Dynasty, and constructed in the 47th year of the Wanli reign (1619) during the Ming Dynasty. The pagoda was completed in the 2nd year of the Chongzhen reign (1629), taking a total of 10 years to build. The origin of the pagoda is said to be related to the fact that after Li Erhe achieved the top score in the provincial imperial examination, he failed the metropolitan examinations four times in a row. He believed that the "mountain-water and cultural feng shui" at the mouth of Meixi River in Songkou were inadequate, so he wanted to build a pagoda to remedy the feng shui. The site chosen for the pagoda is where the Songkou River curves as it flows away. The pagoda is pavilion-style, octagonal, has seven stories, and is over 40 meters tall. At the very top of the pagoda is an iron-cast gourd with a base diameter of about 1.5 meters and weighing over ten thousand pounds; to this day, no one can clearly explain how it was placed atop the pagoda. The base of the pagoda’s first story is built with square granite blocks, while the rest of the stories are entirely constructed with blue bricks.

Address: Located in Tongpan Village in the lower reaches of the Meijiang River, about 8 kilometers from Songkou Town, Meixian District

Type: Historic Site / Ancient Pagoda

Recommended Visit Duration: About 3 hours

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units