Qimu Towers [nipic.com] |
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- Location: Dengfeng County, Henan Province
Qimu Towers (启母阙) is located 2 km from Dengfeng County, Henan Province and South of Songshan Mountain. According to the Daoist classic book Huai Nan Zi, when Da Yu undertook the task of taming the fierce floods, he didn't enter his home, despite passing it three times. His wife waited for him and gradually turned into a huge rock. When Emperor Wu of Western Han Dynasty visited Songshan Mountain, he saw the rock and built Qimu Temple. Zhu Chong, prefecture chief in Yingchuan built Qimu towers in front of Qimu Temple in 123 in the East Han Dynasty.
Qimu Tower is severely damaged. The remains of the west tower measure 3.17 meters tall. The east tower is 3.18 meters tall and the two towers are 6.80 meters from each other. The top half of the towers is missing. There are more than 60 stories carved into the body of the tower, including stories of rabbit hunting, banquets and football matches. The calligraphy is exquisite, and typical of Han Dynasty style.
Travel tips:
1. The place is a preserved site and is not open to the public;
2. You can take a taxi from Zhengzhou City.