Lingyun Pagoda

　　Lingyun Pagoda stands on Qianqiu Jia water in Wanzi Lake, five kilometers from Yuanjiang City. It rises from the islet when the water recedes and floats on the lake when the water rises. From afar, under the radiant sunshine, the shimmering waves of the lake reflect the pagoda like a lotus flower emerging from the water, standing gracefully atop the azure surface, as if greeting visitors with a smile. Up close, the pagoda rises sharply, piercing the blue sky, with its reflection mirrored in the rippling lake—its serene and picturesque waterscape a feast for the eyes.

　　Constructed on a lake islet, the foundation of Lingyun Pagoda was laid in the winter of 1793 and completed in the spring of 1797, taking over 200 years to finish. The pagoda is submerged by floodwaters for several months each spring and autumn, yet to this day, its structure remains solid. The entire pagoda is built from granite, using 167,000 stone blocks and costing 4,710 taels of silver. It remains well-preserved to this day. The main gate of the pagoda originally had a pair of stone oxen, and the lintel of the first floor is inscribed with three large characters: “Lingyun Pagoda.” The north gate on the second floor features a couplet that reads: “A brush of ink extends from the tower, joining the seventh level to meet the clouds.” From the second to the seventh floor, each level has two windows and four doors facing the cardinal directions. The window grids come in various patterns, with fresh and elegant designs. Spiral staircases on both sides connect the levels, allowing visitors to climb and enjoy the distant views.

　　During the Qing Dynasty, the Four Great Statesmen of Hunan—Zeng Guofan, Zuo Zongtang, Hu Linyi, and Peng Yulin—once toured Dongting Lake together. In front of Lingyun Pagoda, each composed a line of poetry, which were combined into a seven-character quatrain: *Ode to Lingyun Pagoda* — “The autumn waters of Dongting mirror like an inkstone’s wave; / Let Junshan Mountain be ground as ink. / The inverted pagoda serves as a floral display; / How many lines can the vast heavens still inscribe?”