Lotus Pond and Jade Pot Pavilion

　　Lotus Pond is located between Half Moon Pavilion and Lotus Tower, serving as a garden water feature. The rocks in the pond are naturally formed, and the lotuses in the water are water lilies. It is said that Half Moon Pavilion was where Wang Changling played the zither and sang. Legend has it that Wang Shaobo composed poems by the pond under the moonlight, often accompanied by the fairy of lotus playing the flute. The couplet “Fish swim beneath the water in search of the moon, trees grow from the rocks to shade the sky” was written by Xiong Xiling, a native of Fenghuang and former Premier of the Republic of China.

　　Walking along the corridor toward Jade Pot Pavilion, you’ll find stone tables and benches inside the pavilion, alongside the “Ice Heart in Jade Pot Stele.” In the 21st year of the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty (1841), County Magistrate Long Guangdian and his son Long Qirui—who later became the top scholar in the Renxu year and Jiangxi Provincial Administration Commissioner—carved the seven characters from Wang Changling’s verse “A piece of ice heart in a jade pot” into a cleverly designed, pot-shaped stele.

　　The couplet on the pavilion pillars: “The wind stirs the bells, their sound drifting through the tower; the moon shifts the pagoda’s shadow across the river” was composed by Wei Shandi (courtesy name Ciyi), head of the Qianyang County People’s Anti-Enemy Support Association and a renowned local figure.

　　The large tree next to Half Moon Pavilion is a Phoebe nanmu with a leopard-skin-like bark. Five small trees sprout from its roots, encircling the ancient tree, hence it is also called the “Five Sons Achieving Scholarly Honor” tree.

　　SONGCUI Tower is said to be the place where Wang Changling hosted banquets and drank with guests. Souvenirs are now sold there.

　　Source: Ancient Qianyang Town