Wenbi Pagoda: Exploring the Ancient City of Gaozhou

After strolling through Zhongshan Qilou Street and enjoying a bowl of noodles behind the Xian Temple, I drove to Wenbi Ridge Forest Park, just a few hundred meters away. Wenbi Pagoda on the mountain is the last stop in Gaozhou. The mountain isn't high, and the steps are wide, so I reached the hillside in one breath. There is a pavilion here called Wenxin Pavilion. The steps make a 90-degree turn here, facing Wenbi Pagoda on the top of the mountain. It is made of blue bricks, hollow inside, and stands majestically. After a few quick steps, I arrived at the foot of the pagoda. Looking up, the pagoda looks like a writing brush, piercing the blue sky. The scenery is indeed infinite. Wenbi Pagoda was built in the 21st year of the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty (1816), initiated by Zhao Yuanfu, a scholar from Maoming, to revitalize the literary style of the county. The pagoda faces northwest from the southeast, with an octagonal seven-story structure, a total height of 30.6m, and a hollow interior without partitions, making it impossible to climb. The top of the pagoda is an octagonal spire, with a spire shaped like a brush tip. On the lintel of the second floor of the pagoda, there are three gray characters "Wenguang Pagoda", which is its original name, but because its appearance is very similar to a writing brush, it is commonly known as Wenbi Pagoda. In addition, the small mountain where Wenbi Pagoda is located is called Zhentou Ridge. To the south, there are Bijia Mountain and Guabang Ridge, which together form the spectacle of "Azure Peaks of Bijia", which coincides with the meaning of the creation of Wenguang Pagoda.