For Over a Thousand Years, This Must-Visit Place for Literati in Guilin Bears the Calligraphy of Yan Zhenqing

It is said that the three characters 'Xiaoyao Tower' on the stone tablet were inscribed by the great Tang Dynasty calligrapher Yan Zhenqing.

Gazing at the Li River from Xiaoyao Tower

The Zhuangyuan Corridor and Xiaoyao Tower let you appreciate the elegance and glory of Guilin, a city with a thousand-year culture. Text and photos by Liu Guoxiong.

On previous visits to Guilin, I had never noticed Xiaoyao Tower by the Li River. This time, I went in for a special visit.

Xiaoyao Tower is located at the intersection of Jiefang Road and beside Jiefang Bridge in Guilin, part of the Dongxi Alley Historical and Cultural District. To enter Xiaoyao Tower, one must pass through the 'Zhuangyuan Corridor' (Number One Scholar Corridor). Along one side of the corridor stand many statues of historical figures from Guilin, including scholars and top imperial examination winners, with biographies introducing them. From this, one can glimpse the elegance and glory of Guilin, a city of millennia.

Xiaoyao Tower was first built in the fourth year of Wude (621 AD) during the Tang Dynasty, constructed by Li Jing, the Grand Governor of Guizhou. He built a city called 'Zicheng' (Inner City) centered on Duxiu Peak, and Xiaoyao Tower was erected on the city wall as a gate tower. It became a commanding height on the eastern side of Guilin. Over the centuries, the tower has weathered storms and been destroyed countless times, but it was always rebuilt. Because of its excellent location and fame, standing atop it offers a beautiful view of the Li River and the undulating Karst peaks in the distance, making it a must-visit spot for officials and literati coming to Guilin.

Literati who came to Xiaoyao Tower were often captivated by the stunning scenery and left behind fine poems. Song Zhiwen, a famous Tang Dynasty court poet exiled to Guilin, climbed the tower and wrote a poem expressing his nostalgia in a foreign land: 'From Xiaoyao Tower I gaze toward home, amid green waters and misty clouds. Two thousand li north to Hengyang, no wild goose can carry my message back.' From Song Zhiwen onward, poets such as Fan Chengda, Liu Kezhuang, Fang Furuo, Li Yanbi, Li Zengbo, and Zhang Shi of the Song Dynasty, as well as Bo Du Lu Ding and Wu Boyin of the Yuan Dynasty, and Yang Fang of the Ming Dynasty, all composed poems for Xiaoyao Tower.

The last destruction of Xiaoyao Tower is said to have been caused by Japanese bombing. Reconstruction began in 2015 and was completed with lighting on New Year's Eve 2016. The building is a two-story, three-eave pavilion-style structure built in the Tang Dynasty architectural style. Although Xiaoyao Tower is newly built, the stone tablet at the entrance is an ancient stele. It is said that the three characters 'Xiaoyao Tower' on it were inscribed by the great Tang calligrapher Yan Zhenqing. However, the inscription was damaged in the 1960s. In 1972, the Guilin Cultural Relics Management Office restored the Xiaoyao Tower stele based on old rubbings. The ancient stele was originally kept at Putuo Mountain in Seven Star Park for protection and was only returned to its current location after the tower was completed.

On my way to visit Xiaoyao Tower, I passed through the Zhuangyuan Corridor.

The Zhuangyuan Corridor is quite long, just enough to shelter from wind and rain.

On the right side of the Zhuangyuan Corridor are statues of historical figures and scholars from Guilin.

Xiaoyao Tower was also built with a city wall to restore its historical appearance.

Entering the front gate of Xiaoyao Tower, there is a pavilion.

The ancient stele is placed inside the pavilion.

The side of Xiaoyao Tower facing the Li River.

Standing here, you can see the Li River and Jiefang Bridge.

Xiaoyao Tower also has many columns.

The Yuan Dynasty poet Bo Du Lu Ding climbed Xiaoyao Tower and wrote a poem: 'My being soars above the clouds, unbounded thoughts arise. Clear peaks array in vast green, evening mist hides the jade palace. Shepherd's flute fades beyond the clouds, fisherman's song sets in the sunset. Gazing toward Penglai, faintly see the rosy clouds over the sea.'

The second floor is not accessible; this is the hall on the first floor.

This bronze relief is a map of the former sites of Xiaoyao Tower and Zicheng.