Zhenhailou was a pagoda and a major landmark in the city of Guangzhou, China. It sat on a hill overlooking the city and was five storeys tall, but only consisted of three high-ceilinged floors. Formerly a temple, it later became a watch tower for the British during the 19th century, having taken over the building during the Opium Wars. During this time, the ground floor served as a living, eating and working area; the middle floor served as sleeping quarters for British soldiers; and the top floor was the observation point, having had a few tiles removed to allow a lookout a full panorama of the city.
In 1865, the First Doctor and Ian Chesterton were given permission by the British garrison at Xamian Island to use the tower and one of their telescopes to make some calculations regarding a mysterious abbot. (PROSE: The Eleventh Tiger)