Bajiao Tower of Xiankeng Village

Bajiao Tower of Xiankeng Village

The Bajiao Tower of Xiankeng Village is a cultural relic protection unit of Guangdong Province.

Bajiao Tower is located in Xiankeng Village, Dongyuan County, Heyuan City, Guangdong Province. Over 260 years ago, a senior official named Ye Bensong served during the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty. After retiring to his hometown, he spent hundreds of thousands of taels of silver and 16 years constructing a square, castle-like building. Each corner of the structure was equipped with a watchtower, commonly known as Sijiao Tower (Four-Corner Tower). To ensure the utmost security against enemies, he further added a double-layered protective wall, with an additional watchtower of 10 meters in height built at each of the four corners. Thus, the first Bajiao Tower (Eight-Corner Tower) within a hundred-mile radius was born. The protective wall is about 1.7 meters thick and, being constructed entirely from hard, strip-shaped bluestone slabs, is locally referred to as the "Stone Tower."

The walls of Bajiao Tower are built from strip-shaped bluestone blocks and are riddled with hidden passages and mechanisms, making it a veritable fortress that has repeatedly sheltered the Ye clan from storms and disasters. Today, although the Bajiao Tower, after enduring over a century of wind and rain, may not be the largest tower in Heyuan, it is undoubtedly the sturdiest. In 2008, villagers of Xiankeng Village began spontaneously donating funds to restore the Bajiao Tower. This restoration project was less about commemorating ancestors and more about collectively building a spiritual stronghold for their home.

On December 10, 2015, the Bajiao Tower of Xiankeng Village was approved and announced by the People's Government of Guangdong Province as part of the eighth batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units.

Xiankeng Village: Located approximately 60 kilometers east of Dongyuan County’s county seat in Guangdong Province, Xiankeng Village belongs to Kanghe Town, Dongyuan County, and lies about 12 kilometers south of Kanghe Town’s market street. Established during the Qing Dynasty, it has a history of nearly 400 years. The entire village is shaped like a golden cauldron, covering an area of about 2,340 hectares. It preserves over 20 well-maintained ancient residential buildings, 7.5 kilometers of ancient streets and alleys, two ancient tombs, three ancient wells, and retains the original architectural style intact. Representative ancient structures mainly include the Bajiao Tower and the Sijiao Tower. The village has over 400 resident households, with a total population of more than 1,700.

Xiankeng Village is surrounded by mountains on all sides, with dense forests and the Lianxi… More details about Xiankeng Village++

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units