[2025 Jiang County Attraction] Travel Guide for Qiao Temple Stele Pavilion (Updated Feb)

|Zhou Family Merit Stele Tower. Qiaosi Stele Tower is a merit stele tower built by the Zhou family for Zhou Wanzhong, a senior official. The tower faces east, is rectangular, and has a single-eave hip roof with brick carvings of wooden brackets. The roof is decorated with traditional auspicious patterns, and the front of the tower has three couplets and five plaques. The first stele room has a preface. The first couplet: "The sea of blessings gathers all rivers, and the stars of virtue shine brightly." The second couplet: "The family rises with diligence and thrift, and the legacy is poetry and books." The third couplet: "The reputation is high, and the virtue is deep, and the people admire the fragrance." All are words of praise. The five plaques also quote classics and teach future generations to inherit the virtues of their ancestors. Overall, Qiaosi Stele Tower integrates architecture, brick carving, stone carving, and calligraphy art, and is well-preserved, with high historical and artistic value. Address: Qiaosi Village, Hengshui Town, Jiangxian County, Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province Transportation: Drive from Jiangxian County Government, Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province to Qiaosi Stele Tower, about 15.2 km, about 25 minutes.

Qiaosi Stele Tower is located on the side of the road. The entire building is tall and majestic, with exquisite composition, delicate lines, and exquisite carvings. It is a rare work of art that integrates architecture, brick carving, stone carving, and calligraphy art. Qiaosi Stele Tower was built in the 17th year of Daoguang in the Qing Dynasty (1873) and is a merit stele tower built by the wealthy Zhou family for Zhou Wanzhong, a senior official. Historical background: Zhou Wanzhong was diligent and thrifty, versatile, and good at business. After becoming rich, he benefited the local people, donated public buildings, and was loved by the people. The single building faces north and south, with a stone platform of 17 meters long and a tower body of about 15 meters high. The tower body has six rooms, a single-eave hip roof, five stele rooms, and seven steles on the front. The preface was written by Qiao Jinfang, the top third scholar in the 15th year of Daoguang, and the nephew of the Zhou family. There are stone couplets and stone plaques between each room. The calligraphy level of the stele inscriptions is high. The upper part of the tower is decorated with imitation wooden dougong brick carvings on all four sides, with three-step single eaves and dragon-shaped heads. The brick and stone carvings include figures, animals, flowers, etc., and the overall preservation is relatively complete.