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Jiaxiu Tower is the most recognized historic landmark of Guiyang and the structure whose image has come to symbolize the city itself. Standing on a boulder in the Nanming River that winds through the urban core, the tower rises above the water in a graceful multi-tiered silhouette that has anchored the downtown riverfront for hundreds of years and remains the most photographed historic site in the provincial capital.

The tower was first erected during the Ming dynasty, part of a wider effort by local officials to promote learning and good fortune in the young scholars of Guizhou, and its name, which means "first in literary excellence," reflects that cultural ambition. Over the centuries it was rebuilt and restored a number of times after damage and decay, so that the structure visitors see today represents a continuity of cultural meaning carried through successive reconstructions.

The site is more than a single building. The tower is connected to the riverbanks by a covered bridge and is surrounded by a small complex of pavilions, steles, and inscriptions that record the visits and verses of officials and scholars across the dynasties. Together they form a coherent riverside ensemble that frames the water and gives the area its distinctive atmosphere.

After dark, the lit tower reflected in the Nanming River is one of the classic nighttime images of Guiyang, and locals gather along the embankment to stroll, chat, and take in the view. The surrounding district of old lanes, shops, and teahouses adds a human scale that complements the monument itself.

For any first-time visitor to Guiyang, Jiaxiu Tower is the natural starting point, a historic riverside landmark whose long association with scholarship and civic pride has made it the defining architectural symbol of the city.