Lianping Shuikou Pagoda

Lianping Shuikou Pagoda

The Lianping Shuikou Pagoda is a cultural relic protection unit of Lianping County.

The Shuikou Pagoda is located in Dongyang Village, Shangping Town, Lianping County. It was built during the Qing Dynasty and is also known as a geomantic pagoda. This hexagonal, five-story brick tower in the pavilion style stands 16.8 meters tall, with the base sides measuring 0.25 meters and wall thickness of 0.97 meters. The interior adopts a corbelled arch structure that diminishes with each level. The northern side of the pagoda features arched gateways on each level, with the ground floor gateway being 1.06 meters wide. The lintels of the second to fourth floors are inscribed with characters such as “Giant Spirit’s Arm,” “Mighty Guardian of the Southern Sky,” and “Touching Stars, Bathing in Moonlight.” Each level features interlocking diagonal bricks and eave bricks to form stepped eaves, covered with gray tubular tiles, and decorated below the eaves with colorful geometric patterns.

The main entrance of the Shuikou Pagoda has been destroyed and is now surrounded by overgrown weeds. The five-story tower is covered with moss and vines, with weeds sprouting from the eaves. The inscriptions on the lintel such as “Giant Spirit’s Arm,” “Mighty Guardian of the Southern Sky,” and “Touching Stars, Bathing in Moonlight” have become blurred and hard to discern. The internal staircase has been removed, leaving only a few slanted wooden planks. It is a county-level cultural relic protection unit.

The Shuikou Pagoda and Shuikou Bridge are interconnected. The Shuikou Bridge is about a hundred meters from the Shuikou Pagoda. It is said that the two structures were built around the same time to “subdue” the waters of the Shangping River. Legend has it that the Shuikou Bridge was constructed using brown sugar, sand, and other materials—without any stones or cement—hence its name. The bridge has two arches that reflect in the water, resembling two linked rings tightly “gripping” the river. A banyan tree grows at each end of the bridge. Local lore says one tree is male and the other female. When their branches intertwine, the town will produce a great figure.

Dongyang Village: Dongyang Village…… More details about Dongyang Village++