Yueyang Lou Tower

Yueyang Lou Tower, one of the best-known towers in southern China, stands on the bank of Lake Dongtinghu. Rebuilt in 1045, it replaced a tower built on another site in 716. During the Tang period (618-907) it served as a meeting-place for well-known writers such as Li Bai and Du Fu and Bai Juyi who made it famous, as did the literary figure Fan Zhongyan (989-1052) in later years. The three-story tower is almost 20m/66ft high. It is built without the use of any cross-beams or nails and stands on wooden supports. It comprises four main halls as well as 24 outer and 12 inner rooms; twelve rain spouts point sharply upwards.

Three pavilions encircle the Yueyang Tower. In front on the right is the Pavilion of the Three Drunks (Sanzui Ting), dedicated to the Immortal Taoist Lü Dongbin who is said to have got drunk on the tower on three occasions.

On the left of the Yueyang Tower stands the Pavilion of the Magic Plums (Xianmei Ting), named after the plum-shaped stone to be found inside it.

The third building, the Pavilion in Memory of Du Fu (Huaifu Ting), stands behind the Yueyang Tower and is, as its name implies, dedicated to the poet Du Fu who died in extreme poverty in 770 on a boat anchored on the banks of Lake Dongtinghu.