At the confluence of the Dongjiang and Fenxi rivers, a sandbar shaped like a mythical turtle anchors a 53-meter column of gray brick. Construction of the Jin'aozhou Pagoda began in 1597 under magistrate Weng Zhuangyu. He envisioned a structure heavy enough to pin down the restless currents and gather the landscape's scattered energy.

For 27 years, laborers stacked gray bricks upon a foundation of rough red sandstone. They engineered walls 3.56 meters thick, creating a masonry skin capable of muting the roaring river outside. Inside, they built a wall-wrapped flat-seat structure, laying narrow stone stairs that spiral upward through the dark, cool interior.

The pagoda rises through nine octagonal stories. Each level features imitation wooden pillars and arched doors, bordered by rhombic teeth bricks and cantilevered eaves. At the very top, a cast-iron spire holds an inverted basin, a treasure bottle, and nine rings. Cast-iron bells hang from the eight corners of the roof, catching the wind and ringing out across the water.

A devastating typhoon struck in 1737, tearing at the masonry. Magistrate Yin Guangren directed a massive reconstruction effort. The masons' repairs held fast. Today, despite standing mere meters from the riverbank, the 400-year-old tower leans less than one percent.

Generations of scholars once climbed these steps, seeking the luck of the mythical turtle to secure top scores in imperial exams. The wooden floorboards and railings eventually weakened under centuries of footfalls, prompting a pause in public access in 2006. A new conservation plan now protects the site, preserving a clear visual corridor between the pagoda and the distant peak of Huangqi Mountain. Soon, visitors will again ascend the stone steps, tracing the same path Ming dynasty scholars walked, listening to the iron bells chime above the surging river.