5 most renowned towers in China

We’ve picked five ancient towers renowned for the praise they received by Chinese poets and writers.

China’s ancient towers were often built to commemorate big events. Writers and poets also tended to take these grand, ornate buildings as inspiration. Here are the five most iconic.

1.Yellow Crane Tower 黄鹤楼

Built as a fort by Sun Quan, emperor of the Eastern Wu kingdom, on the Yangtze River in Wuhan, Hubei, Yellow Crane Tower has been destroyed many times. The tower that stands today was designed during the Qing Dynasty. With its picturesque views, Yellow Crane Tower is a popular spot for visitors.

Entry: 80 yuan/person

Opening hours: 07:30 a.m. -18:00 p.m. (April1- Oct.31); 07:30 a.m. – 17:30 p.m. (Nov.1 – March 31)

2. Yueyang Tower 岳阳楼

Yueyang Tower [Image Credit: voc.com.cn]

Yueyang Tower in Yueyang, Hunan was built as an inspection tower for military use during the Three Kingdoms Period. Many popular poems were written in praise of the Yueyang Tower, but it was the eponymous essay Yueyang Tower (岳阳楼记) by Fan Zhongyan of the Northern Song Dynasty that made it so famous.

Entry: 80 yuan/person

Opening hours: 07:00 a.m.-18:30 p.m. (May ¹– Sept. 30); 07:30 a.m.-18:00 p.m. (Oct.1 – April 30)

3. Pavilion of Prince Teng 滕王阁

Pavilion of Prince Teng [Image Credit: photostock.china.com.cn/Wang Wei]

The Pavilion of Prince Teng in Nanchang, Jiangxi was first built by Li Yuanying (李元婴), who was enfeoffed as Prince Teng during the Tang Dynasty. Like Yellow Crane Tower and Yueyang Tower, Prince Teng’s Tower has also been destroyed and rebuilt many times.

Entry: 50 yuan/person

Opening hours: 07:30 a.m.-18:00 p.m. (May 1-Oct.7); 08:00 a.m.-17:30 p.m. (Oct. 8 -April 30)

4. Penglai Pavilion 蓬莱阁

Penglai Pavilion [Image Credit: photostock.china.com.cn/Yu Liangyi]

The Penglai Pavilion in Penglai, Shangdong faces the Bohai Sea, which shrouds it in mist year-round. According to Chinese myth, Penglai Pavillion is the landing place of the Eight Immortals (八仙).

Entry: 140 yuan/person

Opening hours: 07:00 a.m.-18:00 p.m.

5. Guanque Tower 鹳雀楼

qhnews.com 鹳雀楼 — Guanque Tower [Image Credit: qhnews.com]

Guanque Tower in Puzhou, Shanxi was first built during the Northern Zhou Dynasty (557-581) and destroyed during the Yuan. After being praised by Wang Zhihuan, a renowned Tang Dynasty poet, Guanque Tower became a landmark along the Yellow River. The current Guanque Tower, completed in 2002, was reconstructed according to traditional Tang architecture.