Lingfeng Pagoda

Lingfeng Pagoda

Lingfeng Pagoda is a cultural relic protection unit of Guangdong Province.

Lingfeng Pagoda is located in Tantou Village, Shizheng Town, Pingyuan County, Meizhou City, Guangdong Province. Its exact date of construction is unknown. Based on an analysis of the route to Lingfeng Pagoda and its scenery recorded on the Wan’an Bridge stele in Tantou from the 19th year of the Jiaqing reign (1814), the pagoda was built no later than the Jiaqing era. The pagoda has an octagonal floor plan, appears seven stories tall from the outside, and is 35.5 meters high. It is a pavilion-style brick pagoda with internal stairs that wind upward along the walls. The main entrance of the first floor faces northwest, and each level features corbelled eaves formed by layers of dentil and projecting bricks, with window openings on each side. Visitors can climb the stairs to reach the top floor. The original statue of the god Kuixing on the second floor has been destroyed.

Legend has it that during the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty, Huang Zhehu, an official of Jiaying Prefecture, was traveling through Tianshuijian on Mashan when he noticed that Shikudou—now Shizheng Town—had a rather unique and rare geographical location. He believed it must be a place where hidden talents abound and exceptional individuals emerge. He ordered his attendants to stop the sedan chair on the ridge and tolled a gong three times as a mark of respect. However, although the area is surrounded by mountains and situated within a basin, he heard no echo from the hills, which puzzled him. He returned to his government office and consulted historical texts and documents, only to discover that students from Shikudou had taken imperial examinations repeatedly over recent decades but rarely passed. He suspected something was amiss. After careful study, he concluded that the shape of “Nanshekeng” Mountain, located at the border between Tantou and Mashan, resembled a snake and made it difficult for those in the area to achieve greatness. With the snake appearing to open its mouth and exhale mist, it seemed that the area’s feng shui energy was leaking away. To rectify the landscape’s shortcomings, he proposed placing a stele and constructing a pagoda atop the “snake’s head” to suppress the serpent demon, thereby allowing Shikudou to develop peacefully. He then encouraged local gentry and wealthy merchants to raise funds, build three kilns at the foot of the western mountain to produce bricks, and begin large-scale construction to erect a seven-story pagoda. This tower was built to suppress evil winds and pray for a revival of scholarly success for generations to come, hence it is also known as the “Pagoda of Literary Prosperity.” Since the pagoda was built, the people of Shikudou have indeed lived in peace and prosperity, with a thriving literary culture and countless individuals achieving success in imperial examinations year after year. As a result, the pagoda has become one of the four major scenic attractions of Shizheng. Today, local villagers take great care in preserving Lingfeng Pagoda.

In 1985, the People's Government of Pingyuan County designated it as a cultural relic protection unit. In 2008, the People's Government of Guangdong Province listed it as part of the fifth batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units.

Tantou Village: Tantou Village in Pingyuan County, Meizhou City, is located in the southeastern part of Shizheng Town. The village has jurisdiction over 6 villager groups, with 316 registered households and a population of 1,151. The total area of the village is 5.16 square kilometers, including 600 acres of arable land. The average annual temperature in Tantou Village is 21.7°C, with annual rainfall of about 1,637 mm, characteristic of a subtropical monsoon climate. The main economic crops are rice, and the village’s special economic income amounts to 150,000 yuan, with the total rural economic income of Tantou Village in the previous year being 4,757,000 yuan. In recent years, measures and achievements in Tantou Village’s economic development include fish seedling breeding, planting... Detailed information about Tantou Village++

Further reading:

· Fifth Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units