Xizi Pagoda, or the pagoda for cherishing writing paper, is part of China’s architectural heritage in culture, education, and rites. It symbolizes respect for books and ceremonies, aspirations for virtue and ideals, and hope for literati cultivation. This paper is the first comprehensive study based on the spatial structure and artistic value of the pagoda as rural stone architecture. It analyzes the shape, components, and decoration of typical Xizi Pagodas in Hunan Province, and studies the stress structure with finite element simulation software. This study delves into the science of the shape, structure and space, and the cultural and aesthetic connotations, and proposes protection and renovation methods. In conclusion, the architecture is decided by the cylindrical shape of the paper burning structure and aesthetics; it is also influenced by Hunan culture, which cherishes literature and ceremonies and values candor and optimism. The pagoda is a national art form with a unique role in enlightenment and education. Therefore, the protection and utilization of the pagoda can be approached from its spatial structure, artistic value, and cultural inheritance to facilitate the sustainable development of architectural heritage, environment, and culture, so as to build Xizi Pagoda into a new national brand.

It is hard to grasp the deformation law of the surrounding rock and the force characteristics of the support structure during the construction of ultra-small clearance tunnels in upper soil and lower rock composite strata. Based on the ultra-small clearance tunnel in Li Shuping, Tongxin Expressway, Guizhou, this paper adopted a combination of numerical simulation and field monitoring to analyze the influence of different burial depths and soil-rock interface positions on the deformation of the surrounding rock and the internal forces of the support structure of the ultra-small clearance tunnel. The conclusions are: (1) the monitoring data show that the stress in the steel frame of the leading tunnel increases first by the influence of proximity construction, and then decreases and reaches a stable value after the secondary lining is applied, and the stress at the arch waist of the soft soil layer furtherest from the side of the middle rock column is greater than that in the rock layer on the side of the middle rock column; (2) the position of the soil-rock interface has a significant influence on the initial support force of the first tunnel, and the bending moment of the structure increases with the downward movement of the soil-rock interface and the increase in the burial depth; (3) the influence of the soil-rock interface position on the initial support moment of the first tunnel is greater than the influence of proximity construction, a point to which attention should be paid during construction; and (4) when the soil-rock interface is located below the foot of the arch, the deformation of the surrounding rock of the following tunnel will be larger than that of the first tunnel. The results can provide a reference for the design and construction of ultra-small clearance tunnels in upper soil and lower rock composite soft strata and soil strata.