Wenchang Pavilion
文昌阁
A pavilion atop the eastern gate of the Ming-era city wall. Its three-tier, nine-sided design, together with Jiaxiu Pavilion, makes it one of Guiyang's two treasures of ancient architecture.
Wenchang Pavilion is in the old east gate area of Yunyan District. It was first built in 1596, in the 24th year of the Wanli era of the Ming dynasty, atop the barbican of the old Guiyang city's eastern gate. It is a three-story wooden pavilion with nine sides, and its beams and pillars are often in multiples of nine, a design rare in China. It is a national key cultural relic protection unit, and a section of Ming city wall and a stele corridor survive on either side. The site is small and free to visit, and takes about half an hour. From here it's about a 15-minute walk to Wang Yangming Memorial Temple, linking the two into an old-city cultural route. Continuing south leads to Jiaxiu Pavilion.
Opening hours
About 09:00–17:00
Nearby sights
- Former Site of Dade School
- Jiaxiu Tower
- Wang Yangming Memorial Temple
- Guizhou Nationalities Museum
- Qingyun Night Market
- Erqi Road Snack Street
- Hongfu Temple
- Qianling Mountain Park