Yellow Crane Tower, located on Snake Hill in Wuchang, is one of the "Three Famous Towers South of Yangtze River (the other two: Yueyang Tower in Hunan and Tengwang Tower in Jiangxi).
Legend has it that in Wuchang, there used to be a wine shop opened by a young man named Xin. One day, a Taoist priest, in gratitude for free wine, drew a magic crane on the wall of the shop and instructed it to dance whenever it heard clapping. Thousands of people came to see the spectacle and the wine shop was always full of guests. After 10 years, the Taoist priest revisited the wine shop. He played the flute and then rode on the crane to the sky. In memory of the supernatural encounter and the priest, the Xins built a tower and named it Yellow Crane Tower.
According to records, the tower was first built in 223 A.D during the Three Kingdoms period (220-280). After completion, the tower served as a gathering place for celebrities and poets to party and compose poetry. It was estimated that up to the Tongzhi Reign of the Qing dynasty, as many as 300 poems about the tower had been found in historical literature. Cui Hao, a famous poet during the Tang dynasty (618-907), made the tower well known throughout China with his poem "Yellow Crane Tower".
Destroyed many times in successive dynasties, the tower was rebuilt time and again until 100 years ago when it was, for the last time, reduced to ashes. The present tower is a complete reconstruction and is the result of four years of work beginning in 1981. Where the old tower was only 15 meters wide, the ground floor of the new structure was increased to 20 meters wide. The tower, 51.4 meters high, is five-storied with yellow tiles and red pillars, overlapping ridges and interlocking eaves, more magnificent than the old one.
The new Yellow Crane Tower is regarded as the symbol of Wuhan city.
According to the history, the yellow crane tower was first built in 223AD during the three-kingdom period. At the beginning, the tower was originally used for military to observe the enemy’s activity. When the war finished, the tower gradually became a scenic attraction where people can appreciate the view of the city as well as the lake. In ancient time, many literati visited this place, and sometimes even write down poems for it such as Cui hao in Tang Dynasty, he wrote a famous poem which was name YELLO CRANE TOWER, and another famous poet Li bai, whose poems affected the whole dynasty in his time, also visited this beautiful place many times.
Over the centuries the tower had been destroyed by wars for many times, but its popularity with Chinese people ensured that it was always rebuilt. The current tower was completed in 1985 and its design derived from a picture of Qing dynasty. It stands 51.4meters high and has 5 floors .The tower has 60 upturned eaves layer upon layer, covered with yellow glazed tiles and supported with 72 huge pillars. The exports comment that it is an authentic reproduction of both the exterior and interior design, with the exception of the addition of air-conditioner and an elevator. Since ancient time, the yellow crane tower has been regarded as the symbol of Wuhan.
Now we are standing in front of the tower. With yellow upturned eaves, each floor seems to have been designed to resemble a yellow crane spreading its wings to fly. Let’s enter the hall on the first floor. On the wall, there is a nine-meter (about 30 feet) long and six-meter (about 20 feet) wide painted porcelain picture which depicts clouds, rivers and cranes to represent a romantic mood in the heaven. What do you think of the picture? It is very beautiful, isn’t it? Do you know why we call the tower YELLOW CRANE TOWER? The answer lies in the picture. Have you noticed that in the picture there is a Taoist who played a flute and rode an crane gliding through the sky? It is a story about kindness and rewarding.
Long time ago, there was a warm-hearted old man. He was very poor and ran a small wine tavern to earn a living. One day in the summer, the weather was very hot and the sun was very strong, a Taoist dressed in tattered clothes entered the alehouse. He begged the shopkeeper for wine:” Excuse me, I am very thirsty but I haven’t any money. For god’s sake, could you give me a bowl of wine?” “Sure” the shopkeeper smiled: “just help yourself” and gave him a bowl of wine. After that, the Taoist often patronized the tavern and enjoyed the wine without paying money. One year later, the Taoist wanted to reward the poor man. He picked up an orange peel from the ground and drew a magic crane on the wall. When he clapped his hands, the crane can dance with the rhythm. Many people came to watch this miracle. From then on, the tavern was always full of guests. During the ten years, the old man got out of the involvement of poverty and ran a large restaurant. Ten years later, the Taoist revisited the old place. When he met Xin, Xin thanked him. He said: it is your kindness that makes you wealthy. After saying goodbye, the Taoist played the flute and then rode the crane to the sky. In honor of the yellow crane and Taoist, the old man, Xin, built a tower and named it yellow crane tower.
Now we are on the second floor, and we can appreciate various miniature copied the styles from Tang dynasty to Qing dynasty. Now, let us enjoy the yellow crane in Tang dynasty, it has two stories, the first floor was the gate of the wall, the second floor was used for visitors to enjoy the view of the city. I have a question, which resembles with the current tower most, pay attention, please. Right, the design of yellow crane tower was followed a Qing dynasty picture. Let us have a look at the model in Qing dynasty. It has 3stories, the first floor has 12eaves which represent 12 hours in one day, the second floor also has 12eaves and it stands for 12months in a year. The third floor has 24eaves and represents 24 solar terms. It is very interesting to enjoy kinds of models in different dynasties.
On the three floor you can learn something about Chinese ancient culture----poem. Maybe you can try to learn Chinese from poem and show the poem to your family members back home.
If you want to enjoy the Yangtze River and the view of Wuhan, the good choice is to go to the fifth floor. Now it is free time!
Bordering on the Yangtze River and crouching on the top of the Snake Hill, the Yellow Crane Tower is one of the three most famous towers on the south bank of the Yangtze River. (the other two are Yueyang Tower in Hunan and Tengwang Tower in Jiangxi)
First built in 223 AD, the tower has a history of over 1700 years. It is not only an important scenic spot, but also a symbol of “piping times of peace“ in people‘s minds. Scholars in the past dynasties wrote hundreds of poems and scores of writings in praise of the magnificent Yellow Crane Tower. The legend about the tower has become a bright pearl of the Chinese literature.
Rebuilt in 1985, the Yellow Crane Tower Park occupies a hilly area and consists of towers, pavilions and corridors, forming an architecture complex and a garden complex of man--made and natural scenery. It has become the symbol of Wuhan for its long history, its magnificent outlook and its imposing architectural style.