Doukui Tower

　　The tower faces Santai Pagoda on Santaizhou Island on the north bank of the river across the water. In ancient times, two pagodas were built on either side of the Zi River, in front of the east gate of the county town, for two main reasons. One was to suppress the dragon and subdue evil spirits. Legend has it that at the turn of spring and summer, when heavy rains poured down, an angry yellow dragon in the Zi River would team up with monsters under the riverbed to stir up storms, flooding the farmland on both banks and endangering the local people. The pagodas were built by the river in hopes of suppressing the river demons and restraining the yellow dragon. The other reason was to station a pair of pagodas outside the east gate of the county town, forming a majestic gateway to the county, so that ships and rafts navigating the river would sense the “might” of the ancient city of Yiyang, which has a history of thousands of years.

　　The pagoda at the foot of Guitai Mountain was named Doukui Tower, embodying the aspirations of countless locals for the flourishing of literary prosperity in Yiyang. Located on Guitai Mountain by the water on the south bank of the Zi River, the area boasts beautiful scenery and has been a renowned center of study and lectures since the Song Dynasty. In the Qing Dynasty, it was known as Longzhou Academy. Legend says that all stars in the sky point toward the North Star, and among the seven stars of the Big Dipper, the first star is called the Kuixing (the literary star), which governs the rise and fall of literary fortune. The locals hoped for the flourishing of literary talent and the emergence of more scholars in Yiyang, so they named the pagoda after the Kuixing star of the Big Dipper, wishing for the literary star to bless the land and ensure a steady stream of talented individuals.

　　Although belief in divine protection is superstitious, the beautiful study environment and positive academic atmosphere of Longzhou Academy indeed nurtured many notable figures in Yiyang. Pioneers of the proletarian revolution such as Zhang Kundi, Xiong Henghan, and Yuan Zhuren, former Deputy Director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee Zeng San, and literary giants Zhou Yang and Zhou Libo were all students of Longzhou Academy.

　　Doukui Tower is seven stories high, with a total height of 29.175 meters, and is entirely constructed from granite strips. Inside, there is a spiral staircase that leads to the top. The tower’s spire was struck by lightning in 1873, and the locals subsequently carried out repairs. By 1969, cracks and tilting were discovered at the top, and to prevent accidents, the urban construction department at the time demolished the top two stories. In 1988, the government responded to public opinion and officially allocated funds for restoration, bringing back the original appearance of Doukui Tower, allowing its majestic presence to once again grace the riverside of the ancient city.