Yueyang Tower

【Yueyang  Yueyang Tower】Dongting is the world's water, Yueyang is the world's tower||⏰October 8, 2023 🏮Yueyang Tower, located on Dongting North Road in Yueyanglou District, Yueyang City, Hunan Province, is situated atop the western gate wall of the ancient city of Yueyang, close to the banks of Dongting Lake, overlooking Dongting Lake and facing Junshan Island. It was first built in the 20th year of Jian'an during the Eastern Han Dynasty (215 AD), and has been repeatedly renovated over the generations. The existing structure follows the form and pattern of the reconstruction in the 6th year of the Guangxu era of the Qing Dynasty (1880 AD). Yueyang Tower became famous due to the Northern Song Dynasty's Teng Zongliang's renovation and his invitation to his friend Fan Zhongyan to write "The Record of Yueyang Tower." It has been known since ancient times as 'Dongting is the world's water, Yueyang is the world's tower,' and along with the Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan, Hubei, and the Tengwang Pavilion in Nanchang, Jiangxi, it is known as one of the 'Three Great Towers in the South of the Yangtze River.' It is one of the 'Ten Great Historical and Cultural Towers in China,' one of the ancient Four Great Towers, and is known as 'the world's number one tower.' 🏮The main building of Yueyang Tower is rectangular, 19.42 meters high, 14.54 meters deep, and 17.42 meters wide. It is a three-story, four-pillar, flying eave, helmet-top, pure wooden structure. The four nanmu golden pillars in the tower go straight to the top, surrounded by corridors, beams, rafters, and purlins that are interlocked to form a whole. The top is covered with glazed yellow tiles, and the structure is solemn and generous. The first floor of Yueyang Tower hangs a carved screen of 'The Record of Yueyang Tower' and other poems, couplets, and carvings; the second floor's center hangs a purple sandalwood carved screen with 'The Record of Yueyang Tower' written by the Qing Dynasty calligrapher Zhang Zhao; the third floor hangs a carved screen of Mao Zedong's handwritten poem 'Ascending Yueyang Tower' by Du Fu, and the eaves columns hang a couplet 'Water and sky blend in one color, wind and moon are boundless' written by 'Changgeng Li Bai,' which has a certain ornamental value. As the only ancient building among the three great towers that has maintained its original structure, the unique helmet-top structure reflects the intelligence of the ancient working people and the exquisite design skills of skilled craftsmen. 🏮In January 1988, Yueyang Tower was announced by the State Council as the third batch of national key cultural relics protection units; in August of the same year, Yueyang Tower was listed as a national key scenic spot protection area. On January 30, 2005, Yueyang Tower was selected as one of the top ten cultural heritages of Hunan. In September 2011, Yueyang Tower Scenic Area was officially approved by the National Tourism Scenic Area Quality Grade Evaluation Committee as a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction. 🎫Ticket: Yueyang Culture and Tourism Company 🎫Adult ticket: 70 yuan 🎫Discount ticket for seniors and students: 35 yuan 🎫The above tickets do not include night visits, and the purchase of night tickets or free admission with a back pass is subject to the announcement of the scenic area 🈺️Business hours: 07:00-18:00 🕐Recommended duration of visit: 3h 📇Address: No. 60, Dongting North Road, Yueyanglou District, Yueyang City, Hunan Province