The Patriotic Tower is located at the foot of a mountain in Houyang Town, Conghua City, Guangdong Province, about 2 kilometers northeast of Toujia Village. This tower was previously known as Wuliu Tower due to its location within the administrative boundaries of Wuliu Township in ancient times.
The Patriotic Tower stands approximately 36 meters tall and has an exterior structure resembling seven layers. Its base is a flat octagon, constructed from rammed earth using a combination of soil, lime, water, and millet or oats as binding agents to create a strong foundation for the windwater tower system (a type of ancient Chinese architecture).
The construction of this patriotic monument was undertaken in 1743 during Qing’s Qianlong period. The local gentry Xie Lunzi actively advocated for its building, with assistance from members of the Hongyang Fang family and other prominent individuals who played a key role in overseeing its completion within five months.
Throughout history, the Patriotic Tower has served as both windwater tower and national monument. It is now one of the most iconic symbolsof patriotism during World War II when it was used for battle operations by the Chinese people’s liberators during their withdrawal from the battlefield due to a lack of troops and supplies.
Unfortunately, there were heavy casualties during this period. To commemorate heroes who died as martyrs while writing “Long live China” (, ) with their own blood in 1943 on the Iron Lotus-shaped pagoda at the top of the tower before jumping off and sacrificing themselves for their country, The Patriotic Tower is now designated a base for patriotic education and promotion of national spirit.
The Tower of Culture and Education, located in Hongyang Township, Puning City, Guangdong Province, sits atop a hill behind Tangxi Village at the foot of the tower, which was previously part of Wuli Rural Committee. The name “Wuli” has stuck due to its location on this mountain. This 36-meter-tall pagoda has an exterior with seven stories and an eight-sided flat plan made from rammed earth, a typical design for ancient wind-and-water towers.
Constructed during the Qianlong era (1743), the tower was jointly sponsored by officials including Xie Lunzi, members of the Hongyang Fan family, as well as others. It took five months to complete and has become an important landmark in Puning City.
In ancient times, this pagoda served as a wind-and-water tower; today it is a patriotic one. During World War II, the Tower became a battlefield when Chinese Liberation Army forces retreated here after being greatly outnumbered and suffered heavy casualties. In its final stand, a wounded soldier climbed up to an iron lotus-shaped lantern at the top of the pagoda, wrote with his own blood “Long live the Communist Party of China!” before jumping off in a heroic sacrifice.
To commemorate this patriotic spirit and promote national education, the Tower has been recognized as one of Puning’s educational bases for patriotism.