Yangshan Pagoda

Yangshan Pagoda

Yangshan Pagoda is a cultural relic protection unit of Yangshan County.

The construction of pagodas in Yangshan began in the Song Dynasty, when most were stone pagodas, such as the Buddhist pagoda built during the Jiading era of the Song. Later, to commemorate Han Wengong (Han Yu) for promoting Confucian teachings and emphasizing the cultivation of future scholars, a nine-story stone pagoda was first built and named “Wen Tower.” During the Ming Dynasty, another brick pagoda called “Wen Tower” was built in Yangshan. In the 59th year of the Qianlong reign during the Qing Dynasty, Pan Yuan Yin, the magistrate of Yangshan County, advocated for fundraising to build a new nine-story “Wen Tower.” The following year, in the 60th year of Qianlong’s reign, Zheng Shichao from Yangshan succeeded in the imperial examination in the capital and proudly earned the title of Jinshi (advanced scholar). When the news arrived, the entire county erupted in celebration.

Later, Zheng Shichao successively served as an imperial censor of the Zhejiang and Henan circuits. Since Han Yu had served as an imperial censor during the 19th year of the Zhenyuan era in the Tang Dynasty before being transferred to become the magistrate of Yangshan, it became a popular local tale in Yangshan that there were “two imperial censors”: one was Han the Censor, and the other was Zheng the Censor. Zheng Shichao later rose to the rank of Court Counselor. Yangshan Pagoda symbolizes Yangshan’s emphasis on literature and education and the promotion of Han Wengong’s educational spirit, and is revered by the people as the unofficial emblem of Yangshan County.