Jining Kuixing Tower

　　In the 27th year of the Wanli reign during the Ming Dynasty (1599), Peng Kunhua from Runan was appointed as the magistrate of Jinxiang County and initiated the construction of the Kuixing Tower. The upper level enshrined the statue of the Kuixing deity, while the lower level featured four open windows. A Lingyun Bridge was built in front of the tower over the Shou River, connecting it to the land. In the 22nd year of the Kangxi reign (1705), the Kuixing Tower collapsed and the wooden structure of the Lingyun Bridge decayed. Magistrate Shen Yuan took the lead by donating his salary to advocate for repairs, and many donors responded. The Kuixing Tower was restored to its original glory, and the Lingyun Bridge was rebuilt. Stone piers were used, large wooden beams were laid across them, and thick planks were installed, creating a total of three arches. In the 4th year of the Xianfeng reign (1854), the Kuixing Tower was destroyed during wartime. By the 12th year of the Guangxu reign (1886), Magistrate Cheng Fangde raised funds through donations to rebuild the Kuixing Tower, keeping the original foundation design. “A surrounding wall was also reconstructed,” protected by railings, making the structure resplendent with gold and colors freshly painted. As for the Lingyun Bridge, broken parts were reinforced and missing sections repaired, stone railings were added on both the east and west sides, and a stone path was built at the front. Over the following hundred years, due to wind erosion, rain damage, frequent warfare, long-term neglect, and the man-made destruction during the Cultural Revolution, the Kuixing Tower’s walls crumbled, the roof collapsed, doors rotted, windows broke, and the bridge sank with stones submerged. In 1983, when the Lingyun Bridge within Xinghu Park was renovated, the Kuixing Tower was also repaired. On March 17, 2001, it was designated as a municipal-level cultural relics protection unit by the Jining Municipal People's Government.