Zhuhui District 珠晖区

History

The district was set up on 4 April 2001, when the State Council approved a redrawing of Hengyang's urban districts. It took in the whole of the former Jiangdong District (江东区) together with the townships of Heping (和平), Linghu (酃湖) and Dongyangdu (东阳渡) and the town of Chashan'ao (茶山坳) from the old suburban district.

Its heritage runs from the Han and Jin-dynasty site of the old Ling County city (酃县故城遗址) in Linghu township, a provincial protected site, to the Tang-to-Song Hengzhou kilns (衡州窑), which are on the national list of major protected sites. The former Xiangnan Student Federation (湘南学联旧址), dating from 1919, is also on the national list.

What to see

Zhuhui Pagoda stands on Baitingshan (拜亭山) in Outang village, Chashan'ao. Wang Zhichun (王之春), governor of Anhui, and the salt commissioner Cheng Shanglin proposed it in 1895, and it was finished in 1897. The seven-storey, eight-sided brick and stone tower has a stone spiral stair, and it faces Laiyan Pagoda (来雁塔) across the Xiang, the two guarding the river as a pair. A white marble plaque over the south-west door carries its name, and the doors of the second to fourth storeys have plaques and couplets written by Wang Zhichun. It was damaged in the Cultural Revolution and became a provincial protected site in 2019.

The Xiangnan Student Federation Memorial Hall Scenic Area (湘南学联纪念馆景区) was confirmed as a national 4A scenic area by Hunan's scenic-area rating committee on 30 September 2024. Other provincial protected sites include the Qing-dynasty Ouyang family residence (欧阳氏故宅) on Xiangjiang East Road, the former Hunan Provincial Third Middle School (湖南省立第三中学旧址) from 1904, the former Hunan Provincial Third Class-A Industrial School from 1906, and part of Hengyang's early railway buildings from 1933 to 1956.

Getting oriented

Hengyang station and Hengyang North station are both in the district, served by the Beijing–Guangzhou, Ji'an–Hengyang, Hengyang–Liuzhou and Hunan–Guangxi railways. Across the Xiang to the north-west lie Yanfeng District, Shigu District and Hengyang County.

Highlights

• Zhuhui Pagoda 珠晖塔: Seven-storey Qing pagoda completed in 1897; the district's namesake and a provincial protected site since 2019.
• Former Xiangnan Student Federation 湘南学联旧址: 1919 site on the national list; its memorial hall scenic area became national 4A in 2024.
• Hengzhou kilns 衡州窑: Tang-to-Song kiln sites on the national list of major protected sites.
• Old Ling County city site 酃县故城遗址: Han-to-Jin city site in Linghu township, a provincial protected site.