Xīhé

Xihe was the old county seat of Fenzhou, on the western side of the Fen River basin. The early Ming absorbed the county into the department; the town later became known as Fenyang. East of the city rises the thirteen-storey Wenfeng Pagoda, a lofty brick tower built to encourage literary achievement. Its construction was promoted by the scholar-official Zhu Zhijun, who believed that the tower would improve the balance of the local landscape and bring forth talented men.