Tinghu Lake and Tinghu Pagoda

Tinghu Pagoda stands on Tinghu Hill northeast of Shengzhou City. It is a seven-storey hexagonal brick pagoda. An entrance opens on the south side of the ground floor, while each floor from the second upwards has three windows. The window openings on successive floors are staggered, creating a well-proportioned layered silhouette from afar. When a gentle breeze blows through the openings, a low resonant humming drifts forth with a melodious lingering tone.

Construction of Tinghu Pagoda began in the 24th year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty. Shengzhou City carried out full restoration work on the pagoda in 2001. The pagoda overlooks Shengzhou City and faces the Shan Stream to the south, which winds around the land like a jade ribbon.

The pagoda takes its name from Tinghu Lake at the foot of the hill. This area once formed the old course of the Shan Stream; after the river shifted its channel, a lake was formed with water connected to the Shan Stream. The lake’s name originates from a legendary tale about Wang Ziyou, son of Wang Xizhi, the Sage of Calligraphy of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. The story tells of Wang Ziyou’s famous snow-night visit to Dai Kui: he sailed all night to see his friend yet turned back without knocking at Dai’s gate, mooring his boat here on the return trip — hence the name Tinghu, literally "Boat Mooring Lake".

The Book of Jin · Biography of Wang Huizhi records the story: “Once, when he was living in Shanyin, snow fell heavily through the night before clearing. The moonlight shone bright, blanketing everything in pale white. He sat alone, sipping wine and reciting Zuo Si’s Ode to Recluses. Suddenly he thought of Dai Kui, who was then residing in Shan. He immediately boarded a small boat to visit him and sailed through the whole night to reach Dai’s dwelling. Yet when he arrived at the gate, he turned around and headed home without stepping inside. When others asked his reason, Huizhi replied: ‘I set out purely on a surge of delight; when that delight faded, I returned. Why must I trouble myself to meet Andao (Dai Kui’s courtesy name)?’”

The well-known idiom “Set forth on a whim, return when the mood fades” derives entirely from this historic anecdote.