Yellow Crane Tower

» Wuhan, Hu Bei

Yellow Crane Tower Overview & Map Weather Transportation Information

The Yellow Crane Tower is on the border of the Yangtze River. It stands at the top of Snake Hill. It's splendid. Naturally, it becomes a well-known tourist attraction. In ancient times, a lot of famous people successively traveled here, writing down many poems. The poem named "the Yellow Crane Tower" written by Cui Hao has been considered to be a wonderful work all the time. Therefore, masses of people can recite it. This poem reminds them of the former grandeur of the Yellow Crane Tower. When the Yellow Crane Tower was topped off, its appearance was exciting. Enjoying the fame of "The First Scenery under Heaven," it is one of the most renowned towers south of the Yangtze River. Its cultural significance led to its being made the symbol of Wuhan City.

Legend

According to legend, Yellow Crane Tower was built by the family of an old pothouse owner living in Wuhan City long ago, named Old Xin. One day, a shabbily dressed Taoist priest came to the pothouse and asked for some wine. Old Xin paid no attention to him, but his son was very kind and gave the Taoist some wine without asking for money. The Taoist priest visited the pothouse regularly for half a year when one day the Taoist said to the son that in order to repay his kindness, he would like to draw a crane on the wall of the pothouse, which would dance at his request. When people in the city heard of this, they flocked to the pothouse to see the dancing crane. The Xin family soon became rich and they built the Yellow Crane Tower as a symbol of gratitude to the Taoist priest.

History

The Yellow Crane Tower has a very long and complicated history. It was first built in 223, during the Three Kingdoms Period (220 - 280). Due to the ideal location, it was built by Sun Quan (182 - 252, King of Wu State) as a watchtower for his army. During the following centuries, it was destroyed and rebuilt several times. During the Ming (1368 - 1644) and Qing (1644 - 1911) dynasties alone the tower was destroyed seven times and rebuilt seven times. In 1884, it was completely destroyed in a fire and was not rebuilt until 1981.

Cradle of poems

During its long history, the military function of the tower was gradually forgotten and became 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."

What to see

The tower had different architectural features in different dynasties. However the tower which stands today is based on the one designed during the Qing Dynasty. It stands 51.4 meters (about 168 feet) high and has five floors. The appearance of the tower is the same regardless of the direction it is viewed from. The roof is covered by 100,000 yellow glazed tiles. With yellow upturned eaves, each floor seems to have been designed to resemble a yellow crane spreading its wings to fly.

Exhibit on each floor

The Yellow Crane Tower offers visitors an abundance of things to see. The exhibit on each floor has a theme, for example, the theme of the first floor is about legend. 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.The third floor mainly shows poems written to praise the tower in different dynasties.

Panoramic view

On top of the tower, visitors are treated to a fabulous panoramic view of the Yangtze River, its bridge and the surrounding buildings in Wuhan City.

Other scenic spots

Around the main tower, there are many others buildings, such as, the Shengxiang Pagoda, the Stele Gallery. Outside the tower, there are bronze yellow cranes, memorial gateways and pavilions.

Getting there

• Bus Route: 411, 1
• Tourist Bus Route: 1

Attractions around » Wuhan, Hu Bei

Natural Scene

• East Lake Scenic Area

Historical Site

• Yellow Crane Tower
• Heptachord Terrace
• Guiyuan Temple

Cultural Site

• Hubei Provincial Museum
• Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge

Yellow Crane Tower Highlights

Tower & Pagoda in Great China

• Big Wild Goose Pagoda
• Oriental Pearl TV Tower
• Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple
• Drum Tower
• Bell Tower
• Yellow Crane Tower
• Jiaxiu Tower
• Iron Pagoda
• Liuhe Pagoda
• Tianfeng Pagoda
• Sugong Pagoda
• Wooden Pagoda
• Small Wild Goose Pagoda
• Nong'an Liao Tower
• Wanbu Huayanjing Pagoda
• Kaifeng Po Pagoda
• Yingying Pagoda
• Suojiang Tower

Yellow Crane Tower FAQ & Travelers's Tips

  Transportation

1. Something you should notice about Wuhans traffic

  Travel

1. Is it safe to visit Wuhan?

  Customs

1. What are some popular festivals in Wuhan?

  Other Hints

1. How to communicate with the local people?

• Is it safe to visit Wuhan?

  Wuhan is safe to visit, even after dark, with an obvious police presence and a generally law-abiding people. Penalties for even minor infringements for the locals are harsh which it is why it is this way, a refreshing change compared to many places in the world today.

  Although levels of violent crime are low, pickpockets can still be a problem, however, and you should never let your guard down no matter how safe a destination purports to be. Be especially cautious around the busy train stations in Wuchang and in Hankou as well as in the long-distance bus stations in the same places. Keeping wallets and purses out of sight is common sense and while the locals may think that all foreigners are filthy rich anyway, wearing flashy jewellery when out and about is not a good idea.
  
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• What are some popular festivals in Wuhan?

  The popular festivals in Wuhan, such as Chinese New Year, the Mid-Autumn Festival and the Wuhan International Tourist Festival, are times to be more aware of your surroundings for fear of being scammed, touted or having your pocket felt.

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• Something you should notice about Wuhans traffic

  Many shopping streets are pedestrianised although Wuhan does have a traffic problem, as with elsewhere in the country, and the locals are not known for their courtesy C dont expect a red pedestrian traffic light to mean that a driver would actually stop.

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• How to communicate with the local people?

  The local people speak Wuhan dialect, which is not too difficult to understand if you speak Chinese Mandarin. Usually they speak aloud and fast, but they are always ready to help. Do remember showing your smile first.

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