Wuhan Yellow Crane Pavilion (Yellow Crane Tower), China

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Yellow Crane Pavilion

The Yellow Crane Pavilion (Yellow Crane Tower) is located in the City of Wuhan, it was built in "Three Kingdoms" period (221-263A.D.).

Along the Yangtze River, from Yichang to Wuhan there are many historic relics dated back to the "Three Kingdoms" period, like the famous historic battlefield "Chibi". Wuhan being on the Yangtze River bank was a town of military importance.

The building is named after a fairy tale that a fairy once passed here riding on a yellow crane. This building is regarded as one of the three most famous ancient terraces in China.

There are many famous poems using this pavilion as the subject, among them Cui Hao, a poet in Tang Dynasty, wrote a poem about it;

"Where long ago a yellow crane bore a sage to heaven,
Nothing is left now but the Yellow Crane Pavilion.
The yellow crane never revisited earth,
And white clouds are flying without him for ever.
...Every tree in Hanyang becomes clear in the water,
And Parrot Island is a nest of sweet grasses;
But I look toward home, and twilight grows dark
With a mist of grief on the river waves."

The reminiscence of his homeland reflected here, from the poem we can also picture the beautiful scenery along the Yangtze River.

The terrace has five levels, 72 round piles, it has gold color roof top, 51 meters in height, and 12 special architectural designed eaves. There are many fairy stories is written on the walls of each floor. Another poem were also related to this Yellow Crane Tower:

"You have left me behind, old friend, at the Yellow Crane Pavilion,
On your way to visit Yangzhou in the misty month of flowers;
Your sail, a single shadow, becomes one with the blue sky,
Till now I see only the river, on its way to heaven"

Li Bai, a best-known poet in the Tang Dynasty, wrote this poem in the terrace when he greet farewells to his poet friend Meng Hao Ran. We can imagine the Li standing in the terrace, over look the Yangtze River wave good-bye with his friend until Meng's boat sail further and further away.

Today, The Yellow Crane Pavilion becomes the last stop of the Yangtze River travel route, and the place to have an imaginary conversation with the ancient poets.