Reflection Tower Introduction
The Reflection Tower is located behind the Yanping Junwang Chess Place at Shibaoding. It is a seven-story, octagonal tower that stands 5.76 meters tall, designed in a gourd shape. It is one of the three towers built in the early Ming Dynasty by Zhou Dexing in Kinmen (Mao Mountain Tower, Wentai Ancient Tower, and Reflection Tower). The tower collapsed during an earthquake in 1920. In 1937, just after the tower was completed, it was demolished due to military reasons when Japan occupied Kinmen. It was rebuilt in 2004, with the words "Wenfeng Songxiu" engraved on the top of the tower. The original stones with "Feng," "Xiu," and "Song" are scattered around the ruins. The name "Reflection" comes from the legend that the tall mountain and long tower cast a long shadow at sunset, reflecting on the sea, attracting fish to swim around the shadow. The best description of the feeling of the "Reflection Tower" at the top of Mount Taiwu is captured in the words of the Qing Dynasty scholar Lin Shumei: "The tower's shadow presses on the turbulent waves, reflecting upon the rock and trees; it is not a supernatural power causing the inversion, but rather an understanding of the tranquil."
