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Wangjiang Tower Park is located on the southbank of the Jinjiang River in Chengdu.
It is one of the three famous cultural relics in Chengdu along with the Wuhou
Memorial Temple and the Thatched Cottage of Du Fu. Wangjiang Tower is dedicated
to Xue Tao, a poetess in the Tang Dynasty. A Woman in the past lacked social status
and therefore it is all the more fascinating.
Xue Tao after whom the park is named was born in a turbulent society and this
was the reason why her father named her 'Tao'. She led a hard life and eventually
after her father's death she became a singer. Xue Tao was versatile and beautiful
and according to history, she has written 500 peoms which have been greatly
admired by her contemporaries.
Once you enter the Wangjiang Tower Park your attention will be diverted to
the bamboos. Xue Tao loved bamboos and thus more than 150 varieties of bamboo
from home and abroad are grown here in her honour. The Tower Park is the finest
and elegant garden of bamboo in Chengdu.
The Wangjiang Tower in Chengdu has become an important landmark in the city.
According to legend, the sponsor wanted the building to conform according to
fengshui basically to enhance literate luck. However, 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 tower stands at a height of 39 meters and is the greatest
building in the park. The park is also referred to as Chongli (which means grand
and beautiful in Chinese). Out of the four stories in the tower, the upper two
are octagonal and the lower two are square. Each eave layer is beautifully decorated
with sculptures.
Visitors at the Wangjiang Tower in Chengdu can enjoy tea made from Xue Tao
Well water, read poems and couplets left by celebrities, and become intoxicated
by the ethereal surrounding. An admission fee of CNY 20 is charged per person.
The tower is open from 8AM till 5PM everyday.
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