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 Located on the south bank of Jinjiang River, Chengdu, Wangjiang (in Chinese , overlooking the river) Tower Park is one of three famous cultural relics in Chengdu, along with Wuhou Memorial Temple and the Thatched Cottage of Du Fu . While Wuhou Temple honors the legendary minister of Shu, Zhuge Liang, and Du Fu Cottage honors the Sage of Poetry, Wangjiang Tower is dedicated to a woman, Xue Tao, a poet in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Since in the past women lacked social status, the story of Xue Tao is all the more fascinating.
Xue Tao was born in a turbulent society so her father named her "tao" wave in Chinese. She led a hard life after her father's death, eventually becoming a singer. She was versatile and beautiful. History records that she wrote 500 poems and that her contemporaries greatly admired her.
Bamboos will get your attention as you enter the park. Xue Tao loved bamboo; over 150 kinds of bamboos from home and abroad grow here in her honor. Wangjiang Tower Park with its elegant garden of bamboo is the finest in Chengdu.
Built in 1889, Wangjiang Tower has become a Chengdu landmark. Legend has it that the sponsor wanted the building to conform to fengshui to enhance literate luck. It was only after the tower was completed that the sponsor revealed in two poems that his true motivation was to honor Xue Mao.
The 39-meter- (128-foot-) high Wangjiang Tower is the greatest building in the park. It is also called Chongli (grand and beautiful in Chinese) Tower, derived from an ancient article describing Chengdu as beautiful and grand. Of the four stories of the tower, the upper two are octagonal while the lower two are square with every eave layer exquisitely decorated with sculptures.
Other memorial buildings like Yinshi (poems-chanting) Building, Wuyunxian (five fairy clouds) Hall, Quanxiang (fragrance of spring) Pavilion, Pipa (loquat) Alley, Qingwan (refreshing and pretty) House, and Huanjian (paper-washing) Pavilion are elegantly arranged, featuring Sichuan-style gardens.
Xue Tao Well should not be missed. Not only a poet and beauty, Xue Tao was a clever inventor inventing Xue Tao Paper with water from the well. Superior to the yellow and coarse paper used at that time, her Xue Tao Paper was colorful and delicate.
The white marble statue of Xue Tao deep in the bamboos is poetry in stone.
Visitors can enjoy tea made from Xue Tao Well water, read poems and couplets left by celebrities, and become intoxicated by the ethereal surrounding.
Admission: Free
Opening Times: 8:00 to 16:50
Recommended Time for a Visit: One hour
Bus Route: 35, 19, 3, 18, 31 |
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