Yellow Crane Tower 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. East Lake East Lake, located in Wuchang district, is rated as one of the top national attractions and is the pride and joy of the People of Wuhan. Many of the residents enjoy walking along the lakeside in spring, swimming in summer, smelling the sweet laurels in autumn and admiring the plum trees in winter. The lake covers 33 square kilometers and stretches as far as the eye can see. Ancient pavilions and pagodas scattered throughout the 34 hills around the lake make this scenic spot historic and impressive. Due to abundant rainfall and sunshine as well as a humid climate, East Lake has rich botanical resources. There are 372 kinds of trees and over 390 varieties of flowers, of which plum blossom and lotus are the most famous. While wandering between the green hills, clear water and ancient architecture, one can easily feel the essence of “Chu Culture”. Ancient Lute Pavilion Ancient Lute Pavilion is situated west of Tortoise Hill on the shore of Moon Lake Hill in Hanyang District. Originally built in Northern Song Dynasty (960 A.D.-1127 A.D.), it was destroyed and rebuilt several times. There is a popular fable about this pavilion that a person named Yu Boya was fascinated in playing the lute. Wood cutter Zhong Ziqi understood well Yu Boya’s interest. As time passed by, he got to know that Yu boya was a man with high aspirations through his playing, so they became good friends. Afterwards, Zhong Ziqi died of an illness and Yu Boya was so sad that he broke the lute and proclaimed not to play it ever again. The phrase “Bosom Friend” was formed this way. order to commemorate the two friends, the later generations set up the pavilion. The main building is a pavilion with traditional Chinese architectural style. At The front of the pavilion, you can see a white marble square stone, which is said to be the place where Yu Boya put his lute.
