Jingjiang Kuixing Pavilion

　　Among the existing historical sites in Jingjiang, the Kuixing Pavilion is not the oldest, but it is the most eye-catching. Its structure is majestic, consisting of three stories, and it sits on a stone base about 1.5 meters high. Reaching approximately 14 meters in height, it truly stands out among the surrounding single-story houses, resembling a crane among chickens. The base of the pavilion is relatively large at the bottom and gradually tapers as it goes up, giving it a pagoda-like shape. The pavilion is hexagonal, with 18 upturned eaves that look as if they might start dancing at any moment.

　　The outer perimeter of the ground floor is surrounded by a stone railing. It lacks intricate patterns, but after enduring years of weathering, it appears even more simple and dignified. Inside the stone railing is a tall wooden fence. The visual effect of being smaller at the top and larger at the bottom, along with a psychological sense of stability, is created by these wooden fences—testament to the ingenuity of the designers. The second and third floors have no corridors, with wooden lattice windows on all six sides. On the six corners of the second floor, there are exquisitely carved dragon heads, with their fine whiskers still clearly visible today.

　　The Kuixing Pavilion was first built in the fourth year of the Jiaqing reign during the Qing Dynasty (1799), also known as the Xun Pavilion. "Xun" is one of the eight trigrams in the Book of Changes, representing wind and also the southeast direction. The Kuixing Pavilion was built precisely at the southeast corner of the old county town. At the time, its construction had two purposes: to promote academic fortune and to suppress unfavorable feng shui. The latter was related to the specific circumstances in Jingjiang at the time. Before the 19th year of the Jiaqing reign (1814), Jingjiang had no river embankments, and the county town was right next to the riverbank. Whenever the river water rose, the land along the river could only suffer the impact of the floods, leading to either waterlogging disasters or riverbank collapses. In the 18th year of the Jiaqing reign (1813), a major riverbank collapse occurred, where the Tianhou Temple, Guan Di Temple, and Wenfeng Pagoda outside the South Gate all collapsed into the river. Ironically, the Kuixing Pavilion, which was originally intended to suppress unfavorable feng shui, failed to prevent the riverbank collapse and itself became precarious. Eventually, it had to be dismantled.