Yellow Crane Tower

4 min read

As a special symbol of Wuhan city，the Yellow Crane Tower is closely associated with its surroundings.In other words，the beauty of the tower is inseparable from its natural environment.With the reconstruction of the tower，the park was built together. The Yellow Crane Tower Park extends like a belt from west to east along the Snake Hill. From the west most point Simenkou to the east most point Wachang Road, it covers a length of 1 000 meters and an area of 200 mu. Merging perfectly with the natural scenery is the architectural complex of the tower, pavilions, verandas, gateways and corridors etc. Built in proper distribution against the contours of the terrain. According to the landform, the park is divided into four scenic areas, namely the west, the south, the east and the north.

The west part, which focuses on the Yellow Crane Tower, includes the area from the West Gate at Simenkou to the Tower. Destroyed many times by fire, the tower was rebuilt in 1981 and completed in June 1985, when it was open to the public. Reconstructed according to a picture from the Qing Dynasty, the tower has five stories and rises to 51.4 meters. Covered with yellow glazed tiles and supported with 72 huge pillars, it has 60 upturned eaves layer upon layer. Looking at the tower from any vantage, one can get the same picture. In front of the base of the tower stands a statue of tow bronze cranes over 5 meters high, signifying the return of the yellow cranes.

The most noted building in the east part is the Yue Fei Pavilion, which was built in 1937. As high as 6 meters, it is a hexagon with pyramided roof, granite columns,a6-meter-wide base and a tablet inscribed with”Pavilion of Yue Wumu’s Portrait”. On the columns beside the entrance is engraved a couple that read”It is easier to shake Mount Tai than to shake Yue Fei’s army; may his royal soul always protect Hubei where great cause will be undertaken. No civilian worship money and no official fears death; outspoken words should be valued to revive the nation where new proposals will come from all directions”.

The White Cloud Tower atop the ridge of the Snake Hill is a landmark construction of the south part. It has double gable and hip roofs, ornamented balustrades, and corner pendants. It has no bracket set or middle eave, but replaces them with full moon eaves.

Beyond the White Cloud Pavilion is the north part, which makes a feature of natural landscape. There are shady pine trees and other trees, winding hill paths, and clusters of bamboos.Major scenic spots include the north Waterside Pavilion，the Jujibe of Immortality Pavilion，etc.As they are mostly concerned with fairy tales，visitors might have an impression of being in the fairyland.

The overall arrangement of the Yellow Crane Tower Park is to combine the natural scenery with the cultural view.The park is built according to the landform of Snake Hill and artificial constructions are controlled within an appropriate extent.

Therefore，the constructions coexist with the natural surroundings in harmony.

Visitors have a perfect atmosphere to look，to enjoy，to wonder，to reflect，to meditate，or even to be lost in this aesthetic world of nature and arts.

Three famous towers in the south of the Yangtze River of China include Yellow Crane Tower of Wuhan City，Hubei Province，Yueyang Tower of Yueyang City，Hunan Province and Tengwang Tower of Nanchang City，Jiangxi Province.

Yueyang Tower is one of the three famous towers south of the Yangtze River.It is made of wood and unique in style，its main building has three stories and is 19.72 meters in height.The roof looks like a helmet and four huge nanmu pillars support the upper floor.At each layer around the main building are open corridors decked with flat seat.

Rising high above the bank of the Ganjiang River，the Tengwang Tower was first built in 659 by the then prefectrual governor of Hongzhou（present day Nanchang）Li Yuanming，known as Tengwang（prince Teng），the younger brother of Emperor Li Shiming of the Tang Dynasty.The tower’s fame through the centuries was due to the celebrated prose work foreword to the poems of the Tengwang Tower by famous Tang Dynasty poet Wang Bo.The tower was rebuilt and repaired 28 times.The last time was 1983.It covers a floor space of 5 600 square meters，is 45 meters high and has five stories.But it appears only three stories from outside.