Jiangsu's 'Most Unique' Building, with a History of 400 Years, Now a Tourist Hotspot
April is the best time of the year for weather, and traveling to the south during this period is the best choice. Xuhuatai in Jiangsu is the most lively during this period, with many people coming here to admire the vast oilseed flower fields. Xuhuatai City in Jiangsu is famous for its oilseed flower fields, and many people have overlooked that this city also has a long history. It is a city with a history of 2000 years, and many writers came here when walking, and it also has profound cultural heritage. Zheng Banqiao, who is the number one of the Yangzhou Eight Bands, is well-known. And he also wrote Water Margin, and you can find Shi Nai'an who wrote Water Margin in the museum here.
In Xuhuatai, you can visit the oilseed flower sea and spend more time visiting the Xuhuatai City Museum, the old street of Jindong Gate, and Zheng Banqiao's residence. In addition to these famous attractions, there is another place worth visiting, which is Si Pai Lou. This is a unique pavilion with many plaques, located near Zheng Banqiao's residence. The construction time of this attraction is not explicitly stated. In the Ming Dynasty, it was called Si Zuan Fang, and it was not renamed Si Pai Lou until the Qing Dynasty. It has a history of more than 400 years.
When traveling through various cities, the most commonly seen building styles are double-column single-door or four-column three-door. However, this pavilion is different. It is a four-column four-door pavilion with a two-story gable roof. The most distinctive thing is that there is a plaque hanging on each side and each floor, which makes its appearance look very unique, solemn and elegant.
In the 400 years of history, this pavilion was damaged twice. The first damage occurred in 1796, and it was not repaired for more than 100 years in between. The second time was in 1966, and it was not repaired until 24 years later.
The pavilion was renovated again in 1990, and its location has also changed slightly compared to before, and it has become one of the integrated attractions. When you come to Xuhuatai, you must visit Si Pai Lou. Many people feel that the renovated pavilion is not as flavorful as before, but the plaques hanging on the pavilion still make people want to explore. Among them is a plaque named Li Chunfang, who was the imperial treasurer of the Ming Dynasty.
