Xinhua North Tower is a national key cultural relic protection unit.
The North Tower is located on the shore of Zishui, 2 kilometers north of the county. It was built in the 14th year of Daoguang's reign in the Qing Dynasty (1834). It was one of the eight scenic spots outside the old county town. It was tall and straight, dominating one side, and was formerly known as " North Gate Key".
According to the "Xinhua County Chronicle" written by Tongzhi of the Qing Dynasty, the county is high in the southwest and sinks in the northeast. It is necessary to build a pavilion to control it, so a wooden pavilion was built, which collapsed over time. It was proposed to build a stone pagoda, but due to the low ground and lots of sand, repeated discussions failed. In the 11th year of Jiaqing (1806), 3.6 feet of ground was started to be dug. Due to lack of funds, the work was stopped twice. It was completed in the autumn of the 14th year of Daoguang's reign and took 20 years to build. The body of the tower is made of green brick and stone. According to the inscription: "Twenty-four layers of grouting and grouting at the base of the tower. The center is golden and surrounded by pearls and jade." The tower is 42 meters high, octagonal, with stone boats inlaid on the corners, shaped like warped corners, covered with iron tiles and cast in copper. On the top, there are four words "North Gate Key" written on the main entrance of the tower, and a couplet on both sides says: "Just when I want to rely on the window railing to relax my eyes, I go straight up to the tall building." There are relatively spiral brick steps in the tower that go straight up to the top of the tower, *** Level 492, seven floors inside the tower, with layers of murals, calligraphy and stone carvings of donors’ surnames. Climbing the tower and looking out the window, you can see the green mountains in the distance, the green water at your feet, and a panoramic view of the ancient appearance of Meicheng. Celebrities have always visited and composed many poems. Hu Youheng, who participated in politics in the Ming Dynasty, wrote a poem about climbing the North Tower: "The place where the river flows is empty, and a tower locks the desire. To the north of Zhenzhen County, and to the east of Qihuangzi. Raise your head to doubt that the sun is gone, and the long roar goes straight to the sky. More exploration is planned Qisheng, the most admired in the southwest. "Exquisite craftsmanship. Although it has gone through a century and a half of vicissitudes, it still stands tall
The North Tower is exquisitely constructed and is a famous tower in central Hunan. The tower is 44 meters high, made of stone and blue bricks, octagonal in shape, with a stone boat inlaid on it. The tail of the boat is either a dragon head or a fish tail, shaped like an upturned angle; it is covered with an iron tile cast roof. The base of the tower is paved with huge stones, and the seams are filled with mortar. There are no gaps in the ground, and it is as solid as a rock. The statues of eighteen scholars of the Tang Dynasty are inlaid on the stone railings, which are lifelike. The first floor of the hall is wide and can accommodate eight seats, and is 10 meters high. The roof of the hall is like a large pot with four corners. There are winding alleys on the left and right sides spiraling up. From the third floor onwards, the height decreases and the exquisiteness increases. There is a curved alley on each floor, which is waist-high, allowing you to overlook the distance. At the height of the seventh floor, if you look to the north, you will see thousands of miles away, with mountains and mountains; if you look to the east, you will see towering buildings and chimneys; if you look to the south, you will see towering mountains, flying rainbows, a majestic county, and picturesque countryside; overlooking Zishui is like a belt. , ships shuttle. Each floor of the pagoda hall is equipped with stone beds, where you can sit, lie down, and write poems and paintings. Further outside the seven-story hall, there is a separate room in the Nantong alley, which is more ingenious. There are stone benches vertically and horizontally, facing the Weishan Mountain, and the left and right stone walls are connected with poems and paintings. Sitting on a stone bench, one can have a panoramic view of the new scenery, towers, city walls, and thousands of fireworks, which is fascinating.
After liberation, due to the closure of the Zhexi Reservoir to store water, the water level in the Zijiang River continued to rise, reaching the base of the tower. In 1979, superiors allocated funds to build the North Tower embankment along the Zishui River bank. The embankment is 10 meters high, 10 meters wide and 1,500 meters long. It can protect the base of the tower from being submerged when a major flood occurs, which usually occurs once every 20 years.
In 1981, the County People's Government designated the Beita as a key cultural relic protection unit.
On January 4, 1996, the Hunan Provincial People's Government announced it as a provincial cultural relic protection unit, numbered 35-11.