Best Tidal Bore Viewing Spot on the Qiantang River: Six Harmonies Pagoda – A Highly Sought-After Location
Located at No. 16 Ziqilu Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, the Six Harmonies Pagoda has been a favorite viewing spot for scholars and poets since ancient times. It has been renovated in different dynasties, and there are carvings of flowers, birds and immortals inside the tower. It is also the best viewing point for tidal bores on the Qiantang River, and a must-visit place for many people every year to watch the tides.
The Six Harmonies Pagoda is also known as the Six Sides Pagoda, and the name 'Heaven and Earth Four Directions' reflects the meaning of the four sides. Local legends also circulate about 'Six Harmonies Calming the River'. In ancient times, the Qiantang River was notoriously turbulent, causing ships to capsize and fields to be flooded. A fisherman's son named Six Harmonies stepped forward to take on the challenge, vowing to fill the Qiantang River with stones, preventing the dragon from causing further harm. Six Harmonies threw stones for seventy-seven days, finally subduing the dragon. Afterwards, people built a pagoda on the Yue Lun Mountain to commemorate Six Harmonies' heroic deed, and named the tower Six Harmonies.
Climbing from inside the tower, you will find the Double-Heaven Gate, leading to the outer corridor. Each floor can be accessed to admire the magnificent bridges, sailing ships and the majestic mountains in the distance. Zheng Qingzuo, a Song Dynasty poet, wrote: 'Walking along the path beneath the pagoda for many years, regretting that there is no reason to climb to the top.' The current Six Harmonies Pagoda is octagonal with 13 stories, with 7 levels inside. It is 59 and 89 meters high, with a land area of 888 square meters.
You can climb inside the Six Harmonies Pagoda, and as you go up the stairs, the staircase becomes narrower, making it a little difficult to climb. It feels like ascending a small pavilion. Each floor can be accessed to view the scenery, with different heights offering various perspectives. At the top floor, you can see the Qiantang River flowing below, with the Qiantang River Bridge spanning the two banks. The buildings and greenery on both sides of the river are all within sight. The iron bells inside the tower chime in the wind, creating a unique ancient atmosphere.
The Six Harmonies Pagoda is a famous tidal bore viewing spot. The tidal bores of the Qiantang River are a natural wonder, with a reputation as a world wonder. They can be enjoyed year-round, with the most spectacular displays occurring during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Therefore, visiting here to watch the tides has become a tradition spanning centuries, and it is a popular destination every time the Qiantang River experiences a major tidal surge.
As early as the Southern Song Dynasty, the Six Harmonies Pagoda was one of the best places to view the autumn tides of the Qiantang River. In recent years, the tidal surges in this area have become even more spectacular. Climbing the pagoda and viewing the tides has become a new tourist attraction on Yue Lun Mountain. During the Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties, the area around the Six Harmonies Pagoda, including the Jianggan area of Hangzhou, was home to many people interested in viewing the tides, and they even formed many traditional cultural and scenic activities.
After the Ming Dynasty, due to the curvature of the river, the tides gradually shifted eastward, and the Hai Ning Salt Town became the new center for viewing tides. However, the Six Harmonies Pagoda remained an important location for viewing the autumn tides. Nowadays, the importance of this location has increased, so if you have the opportunity to climb the Six Harmonies Pagoda to view the tides, it is a cherished wish, both for modern people and for those from ancient times.
The Six Harmonies Pagoda is a great place to view the beauty of the Qiantang River. Climbing to the top and looking south, you feel the cool and refreshing breeze of the Qiantang River, along with the majestic scenes of the Qiantang River Bridge and the flowing river, which create a magnificent picture that broadens the mind and stimulates thought. Standing by the Qiantang River, you can see the ancient Six Harmonies Pagoda and the modern Qiantang River Bridge – one is ancient and the other is modern, one is vertical and the other is horizontal, and they complement each other perfectly.
Wooden ladders and stone steps alternate, rotating up the tower, and each floor can be accessed to view the surrounding scenery. Feeling the breeze of the Qiantang River, and seeing the murals and stone carvings inside the tower, you can't help but admire the construction techniques and wisdom of ancient builders. Standing by the Qiantang River, gazing at the Qiantang River, you can't help but sigh!
I am a traveler who is just on the road, and I am a warm-hearted traveler who pays attention to me, let's go to see the world!
