原文
广州有四塔。其在城中者，一曰花塔，在六榕寺，梁大同间刺史萧誉所建。其形八方，凡九级，高二百七十尺。上有铜柱，柱上一金宝珠，以铜周回为圜，一级一圜，皆有铜链以护之。塔下有鲁般像，一手遮目仰视塔，所视处常为雷震去，凡数十葺之皆然。一曰光塔，在怀圣寺，唐时番人所建。高十六丈五尺，其形圆，轮囷直上，至肩膊而小，四周无楯栏无层级。顶上旧有金鸡，随风南北。每岁五月，番人望海舶至，以五鼓登顶呼号，以祈风信。洪武间，金鸡为风所堕，乃易以风磨铜蒲卢。上有榕一株，白鹤栖之。二塔为一城之标，形家者常谓会城状如大舶，二塔其樯，五层楼其舵楼云。其在城东五里者，曰赤冈塔。盖会城东郊之山，左臂微伏，两厓林峦，与人居相错，累累若釜钟然。形家者以为中原气力至岭南而薄。岭南地最卑下，乃山水大尽之处。其东水口空虚，灵气不属，法宜以人力补之，补之莫如塔。于是以赤冈为巽方而塔其上，觚棱峻起，凡九级，特立江干，以为人文之英锷。其东二十五里，有潖洲，当二水中，势逆亦面巽。有二山连缀，穹然若魁父之丘。其内一山，石冢高平，于是又塔其上。以其水常有金鳌浮出，光如白日，因名曰海鳌之塔。二塔既成，屹然与白云之山并秀。为越东门，而引海印、海珠为三关，而全粤扶舆之气乃完且固。盖吾粤诸郡，以会城为冠冕，会城壮，则全粤皆壮。乃今二塔在东，三浮石在西，西以锁西北二江之上流，东以锁西北二江之下流。而虎门之内，又有浮莲塔以束海口，使山水回顾有情，势力逾重，是为江上之第三道塔云。
白话
中文
广州有四座著名的塔。在城中的有两座：一座叫花塔，位于六榕寺内，是南朝梁代大同（535-546年）年间由刺史萧誉建造的。塔的形状是八角形，共有九层，高二百七十尺。塔顶上有一根铜柱，柱上安放着一颗金色的宝珠，每一层都用铜圈环绕，并且都有铜链连接保护。传说塔下曾有鲁班（古代巧匠）的塑像，他用一只手遮着眼睛仰望塔顶，他目光所及之处，常被雷电击毁，虽经数十次修葺，情况依然如此。另一座叫光塔，位于怀圣寺内，是唐朝时外国人（番人，多指阿拉伯或波斯商人）建造的。塔高十六丈五尺（约55米），形状是圆形的，像圆柱一样直立向上，到了接近顶部（肩膊处）才逐渐收小，塔身四周没有栏杆，也没有明显的层级划分。塔顶上原来有一只金鸡，能随风转动指示南北方向。每年农历五月，外国人（番人）盼望海船到来时，会在五更时分登上塔顶呼喊，以祈求顺风。明朝洪武（1368-1398年）年间，金鸡被大风吹落，于是更换成了一个风磨（风向标）铜葫芦。塔顶上长有一棵榕树，有白鹤在上面栖息。这两座塔是广州城的地标，风水家（形家）常说广州城（会城）的形状像一艘大船，这两座塔就是船的桅杆，而五层楼（镇海楼）则是船的舵楼。
在城东五里远的地方，有一座赤冈塔。因为广州城东郊的山脉，其左边的山势稍微低伏，两边山崖的林木山峦与民居交错，堆叠的样子像倒扣的锅和钟。风水家认为中原的气脉流到岭南已经变得微薄，岭南地势最低下，是山脉水流将要终结的地方。它东边的水口（风水概念，指水流出口处）空旷虚弱，灵气不能汇聚，按照风水法则应该用人力来弥补，而弥补的方法没有比建塔更好的了。于是在赤冈这个属于东南（巽）方位的地方建起了塔，塔身棱角分明，高高耸立，共有九层，独立于江边，被认为是（振兴）地方文化人才的锐利锋芒。
再往东二十五里，有个琶洲（原文作“潖洲”，应为琶洲），位于两条河流交汇处，地势逆向水流，也面向东南（巽）方向。那里有两座相连的山丘，高大隆起如同魁父之丘（古代传说中的大土山）。其中一座山上，有石墓（或指大石平台）高而平坦，于是又在上面建了一座塔。因为传说那里的水域常有金色的巨鳌浮现，光芒如同白昼，所以取名叫海鳌塔（即琶洲塔）。这两座东边的塔（赤冈塔、琶洲塔）建成后，高耸屹立，与白云山交相辉映。它们成为了广州东边的门户，并且把海印石、海珠石（江心岛）引为三道关卡，使得整个广东的地脉灵气（扶舆之气）得以完备和稳固。因为我们广东各郡，都以广州城（省会）为首要之地（冠冕），广州城气势壮盛，那么整个广东都会随之壮盛。所以现在，东边有这两座塔，西边有“三浮石”（可能是指西边的几处沙洲或小山），西边的用于锁住西江、北江的上游水脉，东边的塔则用于锁住西江、北江汇合后的下游水脉。而在虎门之内，还有一座浮莲塔（即莲花塔）用来约束珠江的出海口，使得山川水流形势回环呼应、顾盼有情，地势力量更加雄厚，这可以说是江上的第三道塔防线了。
英文
Guangzhou has four famous pagodas. Two are within the city: One is called the Flower Pagoda (Hua Ta), located in the Six Banyan Trees Temple (Liurong Si). It was built by Governor Xiao Yu during the Datong era (535-546 AD) of the Liang Dynasty. It is octagonal in shape, has nine levels, and stands 270 chi (ancient Chinese feet) tall. On its top is a copper pillar, upon which rests a golden jewel. Each level is encircled by a copper ring, and all are protected by copper chains. Legend says there was once a statue of Lu Ban (the master craftsman of antiquity) beneath the pagoda, shielding his eyes with one hand while looking up at the pagoda top. The spot he gazed upon was repeatedly struck by lightning, and despite dozens of repairs, it always happened again. The other is called the Smooth Pagoda (Guang Ta, also known as the Lighthouse Mosque Tower or Minaret), located in the Huaisheng Mosque (Huaisheng Si). It was built by foreigners (Fan Ren, referring to Arabs or Persians) during the Tang Dynasty. It is 16 zhang and 5 chi tall (approximately 55 meters). Its shape is round, rising straight up like a cylinder, tapering near the top ("shoulder"). It has no railings or distinct levels around its circumference. Originally, there was a golden rooster on top that turned with the wind to indicate north and south. Every year in the fifth lunar month, when the foreigners awaited the arrival of sea vessels, they would ascend to the top at the fifth watch (dawn) and call out to pray for favorable winds. During the Hongwu era (1368-1398 AD) of the Ming Dynasty, the golden rooster was blown down by the wind and was replaced with a wind-vane copper gourd. A banyan tree grows on top, where a white crane roosts. These two pagodas serve as landmarks for the city. Geomancers (Xing Jia) often say that Guangzhou city (Huicheng, the provincial capital) resembles a great ship, with these two pagodas as its masts and the Five-Story Pagoda (Zhenhai Tower) as its helm house.
Five li east of the city is the Chigang Pagoda. Because the mountains in the eastern suburbs of Guangzhou have a slightly subdued left flank, and the forested hills on both banks are interspersed with dwellings, appearing like layered pots and bells. Geomancers believed that the vital energy (Qi) from Central China became thin upon reaching Lingnan. Lingnan, being the lowest lying land, is where the mountains and waters reach their end. Its eastern water outlet (Shuikou, a Feng Shui term) was considered empty and weak, unable to retain spiritual energy (Lingqi). According to Feng Shui principles, this should be remedied by human effort, and nothing is better for this than building a pagoda. Therefore, a pagoda was built at Chigang, considered the Xun (southeast) direction. With sharp corners and edges rising steeply, it has nine levels and stands prominently by the river, considered the sharp point or vanguard for fostering local culture and talent (Renwen).
Twenty-five li further east lies Pazhou (written as "Puzhou" in the original, likely Pazhou), situated amidst two rivers, with its aspect also facing southeast against the current. There are two connected hills, lofty like the legendary Kui Fu Mound. On one of these hills, there was a high and flat stone mound (or large flat rock), upon which another pagoda was built. Because it was said that golden giant turtles (Ao) often emerged from the water there, shining like the bright sun, it was named the Sea Turtle Pagoda (Hai'ao Ta, i.e., Pazhou Pagoda). Once these two eastern pagodas (Chigang and Pazhou) were completed, they stood tall and majestic, complementing the beauty of Baiyun Mountain. They became the eastern gate of Guangzhou (Yue), and along with Haiyin Rock and Haizhu Rock (islands in the river) serving as three passes, the foundational auspicious energy (Fuyu zhi Qi) of all of Guangdong (Yue) became complete and solid. This is because among all the prefectures of our Guangdong, Guangzhou city is the crown; if Guangzhou is strong, then all of Guangdong will be strong. So now, these two pagodas are in the east, and the "Three Floating Rocks" (San Fu Shi, likely referring to shoals or islets in the west) are in the west. The western ones lock the upper reaches of the West and North Rivers, while the eastern pagodas lock the lower reaches where the two rivers merge. Furthermore, within Humen (Tiger Gate), there is also the Fulianta (Floating Lotus Pagoda, i.e., Lianhua Shan Pagoda) to constrain the mouth of the Pearl River estuary, making the landscape configuration "look back with sentiment" (a favorable Feng Shui formation) and enhancing its power. This constitutes the third line of pagodas along the river.
文化解读/分析
此条目详细记述了清初广州城内外的四座标志性塔，并深入阐释了它们在地理、历史、宗教、特别是风水信仰中的重要意义：
- 多元文化地标：记述的四塔来源各异，花塔（佛教梁代）、光塔（伊斯兰教唐代）、赤冈塔与琶洲塔（明代风水塔），清晰展现了广州作为历史悠久的港口城市，其建筑景观深受不同时期、不同文化（本土佛教、外来宗教、儒家影响下的风水观）影响的多元特征。
- 风水观念的集中体现：文本后半部分着重阐述了赤冈塔和琶洲塔的修建与风水理论的密切关系。屈大均详细转述了“形家”（风水师）的观点，认为广州东部地势低洼、水口空虚，需建塔以“补龙脉”、“聚灵气”、“壮形势”。这种通过人工建筑干预自然环境以求趋吉避凶、促进地方文运昌盛（“人文之英锷”）的做法，是岭南乃至中国传统社会普遍存在的风水信仰实践的典型例证。
- 城市意象与整体观：风水师将广州城比作“大舶”（大船），以花塔、光塔为“樯”（桅杆），五层楼为“舵楼”，构建了一个生动的城市意象。这种比拟不仅形象化了城市格局，更强调了各部分协调统一对城市整体运势的重要性。同时，将广州（会城）的兴衰与全广东（“全粤”）的命运联系起来（“会城壮，则全粤皆壮”），体现了省城在区域中的核心地位以及古人对地理环境与社会发展关联性的整体认知。
- 层层锁钥的防御体系：文章描述了从西到东、从内到外的多重“锁钥”布局：西有“三浮石”锁上游，东有赤冈、琶洲二塔锁下游，再外有虎门莲花塔束海口。这种层层设防的观念，将风水塔的功能从单纯的补缺、镇守，扩展到对整个水系、气脉流动的控制与引导，旨在构建一个“回顾有情”、“势力逾重”的理想风水格局，确保地域的稳固与繁荣。
- 历史传说与民俗信息：文中穿插了关于花塔鲁班像与雷击、光塔金鸡与番人祈风、琶洲塔与金鳌显圣等传说或民俗活动记录，为这些建筑增添了神秘色彩和文化内涵，也保存了宝贵的历史信息（如光塔曾作为外商测风信的场所）。
- 屈大均的记述与态度：作者客观记述了这些塔的历史、形制、传说以及当时流行的风水解读，虽未像评述“六祖发塔”那样直接表达褒贬，但其详尽的描述本身就反映了他对这些地方重要事物及其背后文化观念的重视。将这些塔（尤其是风水塔）纳入“坟语”，延续了他将塔视为某种“镇物”或与地脉、精神安放相关的建筑的分类逻辑。
关键词
广州, 四塔, 花塔, 六榕寺, 光塔, 怀圣寺, 赤冈塔, 琶洲塔, 海鳌塔, 风水, 形家, 地理, 形势, 水口, 巽方, 补龙脉, 聚气, 广州城, 大船, 桅杆, 五层楼, 镇海楼, 岭南, 广东, 扶舆之气, 锁钥, 虎门, 莲花塔, 萧誉, 番人, 鲁班, 传说, 民俗, 建筑, 地标, 屈大均, 广东新语, 坟语