Heze Juye Yongfeng Pagoda

　　　　According to the *Juye County Annals*, the Yongfeng Pagoda was built during the Tang Dynasty but was left unfinished with its spire incomplete, and was later completed by people of the Song Dynasty. To the east of the pagoda lies a temple occupying over 20 acres of land. It was named the Great Buddha Temple because it housed an 18-foot-tall bronze Buddha statue. The temple was shaded by ancient cypress trees that blocked out the sun, attracting both visitors and monks. With incense smoke curling into the sky, the temple flourished as a place of worship and was a renowned tourist destination in its time.

　　　　Juye got its name from the Daye Marsh. Legend has it that in ancient times, a dragon often caused trouble in the Daye Marsh, bringing floods and leaving people in misery. Nezha, the son of the Heavenly King who holds the Pagoda, subdued the dragon, causing the floods to recede and the Daye Marsh to gradually dry up. The vast expanse of water turned into thousands of acres of fertile farmland. Out of anger, the Dragon King sued Nezha, who was then punished. Later, the Heavenly King broke the divine pagoda—bestowed upon him to subdue Nezha’s third son—into three pieces and threw them down from the Heavenly Gate. The base of the pagoda landed in the neighboring county of Yuncheng to the west, the main body in Juye, and the top drifted to the neighboring county of Jinxiang to the east. To commemorate Nezha and to pray for bumper harvests year after year, the pagoda was named Yongfeng, meaning “ever-abundant harvest.”

　　　　The Yongfeng Pagoda is an octagonal, equal-sided, four-gated pavilion-style brick pagoda. It currently has five stories and is 31 meters tall. The lower level has a perimeter of 44 meters, while the upper level has a perimeter of 36 meters. The first level features brick cantilevered eaves, while the other levels are formed by double-bracketed arches that support the overhanging eaves in a crisscrossed and interlocking pattern, making the structure solid and sturdy. Each level has doorways on the east, south, west, and north sides—some are open to the sky while others lead directly into the inner corridor of the pagoda. The height and diameter of the pagoda gradually decrease from the bottom to the top, creating a well-proportioned taper. On the western side of the pagoda, there are several later-added stone steps that lead into the interior. The ground floor contains a central chamber, with seven Buddhist stone statue steles inlaid on the inner walls. The one at the entrance measures 40.5 cm in height and 100 cm in width, featuring a row of five Buddha statues, each 28 cm tall. By following the stone steps inside and circling up through the second-floor western doorway, visitors can reach the top of the pagoda. From the railing, one can enjoy a panoramic view of the entire city. Below the pagoda, the shimmering water creates a spectacular scene with the reflections of the ancient pagoda blending into the water and sky.

　　　　The Yongfeng Pagoda is surrounded by water on all sides, which has caused it to lean slightly over time. It was repaired multiple times during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In 1990, local residents raised 180,000 yuan through donations to restore the pagoda, enhancing its charm even further.