Carved Flower Tower at the Port
Speaking of Taizhou's Port Town, one must think of the historic Carved Flower Tower. It is a national AAAA-level scenic spot, located on the banks of the Yangtze River. This place has the longest history in the area, the deepest cultural heritage, and was the most prosperous hub for commerce, both ancient and modern.
The tallest main building sits atop a rockery within the garden. As I climbed the steps, a reddish-brown wooden tower suddenly appeared before me. The tower was not tall, only three stories high, but it was exquisitely carved with beams and painted rafters, delicate and quaint in its antique style. Pushing open the wooden door and entering, a large root carving caught my eye, quietly displayed in an elegant glass case. Approaching it, I saw it depicted the scene of nine dragons playing with a pearl, so vivid and lifelike that I could almost imagine myself there, feeling their joy. Climbing to the third floor and looking into the distance, the entire garden unfolded before me—pavilions, terraces, towers, green trees, and red flowers complementing each other perfectly.
Leaving the main tower, I came to an arched bridge. I couldn’t identify its material, perhaps a kind of white marble. The bridge was carved with dragons, or maybe oxen—I couldn’t tell, as they looked so similar. Looking to both sides, a winding stream ran through the garden. At the bottom of the stream, colorful koi fish frolicked—red, white, black, and striped ones. Among them, I liked the golden ones the most, as their shiny golden scales reflected beautiful colors in the sunlight from time to time.
There was a set of rock carvings called the "Eight Scenes of Chai Xu," composed by Qi Chengxun, a descendant of Qi Shiguang, the owner of the local Qi Family Jinshi Mansion, at the age of forty, following the rhyme scheme of Du Fu's "Autumn Meditations." It depicts the eight most famous scenes of our ancient town of Chai Xu.
It is a particularly beautiful place, full of antique charm—worth a visit.
