Wenchang Pavilion in Jing County

　　Wenchang Pavilion is situated in Taohuatan Town (formerly known as Shuidong or Nanyang Town), Jing County, on the eastern bank of Taohuatan. The landscape of Shuidong resembles the shape of Guan Yu’s guandao, with the river forming the blade and Wenchang Pavilion standing out like a bright red tassel on the sword—striking and eye-catching.

　　 Wenchang Pavilion was jointly funded and constructed in the 32nd year of the Qianlong reign (1767 AD) by the Zhai clan of Shuidong, at a cost said to be “nearly a thousand taels of silver.” It stands as an “imposing pillar, majestic and awe-inspiring from all sides.” According to legend, following old Qing dynasty customs, a family had to produce twenty successful candidates in the imperial examinations before they could erect a Wenchang Pavilion. The Zhai clan of Shuidong, a prominent family in southern Anhui, had such thriving scholarly success that “within every ten steps grew fragrant grass,” and in the early Qing period alone, twenty-three members of the Zhai clan earned the title of juren (successful imperial examination candidate), earning the approval of Emperor Qianlong to build the pavilion. The base of the pavilion is ten feet high, while the three-story structure itself reaches a total height of seventy-three feet five inches, spanning fourteen zhang four chi in circumference. The pavilion has an octagonal floor plan, and each of the eight corners on all three levels is adorned with wind chimes. The top level features iron chimes, while the lower two levels have copper ones. When the breeze blows, the chimes ring out clearly and can be heard up to ten li away. The roof slants steeper with each ascending level, and the eight corners point boldly toward the sky, with roof tiles turned ninety degrees at the corners—an elegant design unique to the region and rarely seen in southern Anhui. To the Zhai clan, constructing the Wenchang Pavilion was not only about creating a splendid landmark and drawing in the area’s refined aura, but also about ensuring the clan’s literary fortune. It symbolized the prosperity and glory of the Zhai family at the time. Despite the huge cost—“it would not be completed without several thousand taels of silver”—they “spared no effort in fundraising, regardless of public or private contributions, and without bickering over amounts.” “Those in the clan who were happy to contribute arrived one after another upon hearing the call.” After its completion, Zhao Qingli, a former imperial censor of the Shandong Circuit and editor of the Hanlin Academy, composed a commemorative record for it, and the local scholar Zhai Shiji wrote “A Narrative on the Construction of Wenchang Pavilion.” The front of the first floor bears a horizontal plaque inscribed with “Prosperous Times, Enlightened Civilization”; above the screen on the second floor are the words “Scholarly Light Piercing the Stars”; the third floor features a vertical plaque reading “Together Ascend the Cloud Ladder,” along with a statue of the Wenchang deity. Above the shrine is a plaque inscribed with “Soaring Straight into the Clouds.” These plaques commemorate the past glories and prestige of the Zhai clan’s scholarly culture. Covering an area of over ten mu, Wenchang Pavilion is surrounded by a courtyard wall, and inside there are flower-lined paths, pine-covered mounds, bamboo groves, and ponds. Behind the pavilion lie vast fields. Zhao Qingli once wrote in a poem: “Four hundred ridges and myriads of acres of farmland.” From the pavilion’s heights, visitors can take in sweeping views of distant mountains and nearby waters.

　　 Wenchang Pavilion has stood for more than 230 years. Though centuries have passed, its charm remains undiminished. In the past, literati would climb the pavilion in spring and autumn to listen to the wind, compose poetry, and paint landscapes. Today, visitors can admire the fresh and beautiful rural scenery of southern Anhui as well as appreciate the distinctive style of ancient architecture. Now, Wenchang Pavilion has become a renowned attraction in the Taohuatan Scenic Area, drawing an endless stream of domestic and international tourists.