Dengyun Tower

　　(Wild Goose Pagoda Mocking the Wind) Dengyun Tower is located at the “T-junction” where Minzhu Road and Dongfang Road intersect in Xucheng Town. Construction began in the 43rd year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1615) and was completed in the 3rd year of the Tianqi era (1623).

　　The tower has an octagonal frustum shape with seven stacked levels, each containing an inner chamber. Its volume decreases progressively from the bottom up — the inner chamber on the ground floor has a diameter of 3.35 meters, while the top floor’s measures 1.24 meters. The tower stands 36.41 meters high, with stairs (stone steps) built into the inner walls. Winding up 190 steps leads to the top. The structure is made of brick, stone, lime, and sand mortar, predominantly brick, laid in a one-header-one-stretcher pattern. Each level features decorative bands of string courses and dentils, making it both sturdy and elegant. After over 360 years, the ancient tower still retains its original charm. Situated in the town center, climbing to the top not only offers a panoramic view of the entire city but also, on clear sunny days, a distant glimpse of the thousands of sails on the South China Sea and the scenery of Qiongzhou Island. Hence, it has long been known as one of the “Eight Scenic Spots of Xuyang,” famed as the “Wild Goose Pagoda Mocking the Wind.”

　　This ancient tower is one of the better-preserved Ming Dynasty structures in Xuwen and provides valuable physical evidence for the study of the region’s architectural art at the time. In March 1983, the People’s Government of Xuwen County declared it one of the first batch of key cultural relics protection units.