A
thousand years ago, in Xiaoligang of
Xiaoshi Town in Qianshan County, the events on which the classic story Peacocks Flying Southeast is based, took place.
The remains of Peacock Tower, along with Phoenix Tower in Nanjing and Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan are collectively known as Three Fairies in the Yangtze River Valley. There is a local saying that when you come to Anqing, you must climb the tower and when you come to Xiaoshi, you must climb the Peacock Tower. Also known as Wannian Tower, the Peacock Tower is the place where Jiao Zhongqing and Liu Lanzhi committed to each other. Later generations, moved by their unfaltering love, built this tower in memory of them, hence its name. It is recorded that the Peacock Tower was first built in the final years of the Tang Dynasty as a platform made of soil and the story of the tower was then turned into a magnificent stage drama in the Qing Dynasty. People from all walks of life invited theatrical troupes to perform on the Peacock Tower for at least a couple of days and some performances could even last for a month. This is a cultural phenomenon of Xiaoligang but very unfortunately, the Peacock Tower was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution.
Ancient poems and paintings: Peacocks Flying Southeast.