Zhongxiang Wenfeng Pagoda

　　     Wenfeng Pagoda, also known as Wenfeng Tower or the Pagoda of the Monk with White Milk, is situated atop Longshan Mountain at the eastern and western corners of the ancient city in Yingzhong Town, Zhongxiang City, Hubei Province. It was first built in the early years of Guangming during the reign of Emperor Xizong of the Tang Dynasty. According to records: “The pagoda was located in the Maitreya Temple (the predecessor of Longshan Bao'en Temple). In the past, Huang Chao beheaded a monk, and just as the blade touched him, white milk flowed out. Huang Chao found this strange. The locals revered the monk and piled up earth to build a stupa.”

　　     In the 23rd year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty (1390 AD), it was rebuilt as a round, solid brick-and-stone pagoda, consisting of six parts: the underground palace, the base, the inverted bowl, the spire, the finial, and the sacred top. The design is unique, entirely snow-white, and stands 21.52 meters tall. The base is an inwardly tapering octagon; above it is the inverted bowl, resembling an upside-down Buddhist ritual vessel—the alms bowl. The spire has twenty-one tiers that gradually narrow, with brick decorations resembling bracket sets under each layer of eaves. The top features three circular copper finials adorned with copper bells around the edges. The sacred top consists of a single column embedded with three spheres, symbolizing “success in all three levels of the imperial examinations.” The underground palace houses precious Buddhist relics: “one Buddha statue, two sharira of the Pratyekabuddha, twenty sharira of Master Bada, and one relic bone of Master Bifeng.” The pagoda has a history of 610 years and was listed as one of the first batch of cultural relics protection units in Hubei Province in 1961.

　　     Wenfeng Pagoda is uniquely elegant, resembling an upright brush piercing the sky, exuding a scholarly aura—hence its name. Longshan Mountain faces Mirror Moon Lake, backs onto the ancient city, neighbors Yuanyou Palace to the west, and connects to rolling mountain ranges to the east. Climbing Longshan offers breathtaking views all around, making it a great destination for visitors.