Tengwang Pavilion
滕王阁 · Donghu District, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
One of the Three Great Towers of southern China, made famous by Wang Bo's "Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng"; the present main tower, rebuilt and completed in 1989, stands 57.5 meters tall and looks out over the Gan River.
Know before you go
- Do not carve on plaques, steles or woodwork
- do not use flash directly on exhibits
- do not talk loudly
This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.
Stories & people
Stories & people
History
Prince Teng builds the pavilion
The pavilion was first built in 653, the fourth year of the Yongwei era of the Tang dynasty. Li Yuanying, a son of Emperor Gaozu of Tang, was made Prince Teng in 639 and governor of Hongzhou (today's Nanchang) in 652; he built the pavilion by the Gan River, and it was named after his title.
Source: Wikipedia: Tengwang Pavilion; Chinese Wikipedia: Tengwang Pavilion
Legend
Wang Bo writes the Preface
Legend has it that Wang Bo was passing through Nanchang just as Governor Yan had restored the pavilion and gathered scholars to compose pieces, and Wang Bo wrote his "Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng" at the gathering. Its line "The sunset clouds fly with a lone wild duck; the autumn waters share one color with the endless sky" has been recited ever since: the pavilion became famous through the text, and the text lived on through the pavilion.
History
Destroyed and rebuilt again and again
Over the following thousand years and more, the pavilion was destroyed and rebuilt many times: by one count it was restored 28 times, by another it rose and fell 29 times. The last old pavilion was destroyed in October 1926, and the present main tower was not completed until 1989.
Source: Wikipedia: Tengwang Pavilion; Chinese Wikipedia: Tengwang Pavilion
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
The Tengwang Pavilion (Pavilion of Prince Teng) stands on the east bank of the Gan River in Nanchang, Jiangxi. Together with Yueyang Tower in Hunan and the Yellow Crane Tower in Hubei, it is one of the Three Great Towers of southern China, and it is a landmark of Nanchang. The present main tower was begun in 1985 and completed on October 8, 1989, based on a restoration sketch drawn by Liang Sicheng and Mo Zongjiang in 1942. It is built of reinforced concrete in the style of a Song-dynasty timber tower, 57.5 meters tall, with nine levels in the Song "three visible, seven hidden" arrangement, on a platform about 12 meters high.
Local customs
- Climb floor by floor to see the calligraphy, paintings and couplets on display
- read Wang Bo's Preface
- watch the sun set over the Gan River from the tower
- see the pavilion lit up at night
- take a walk along the river.
Etiquette & taboos
Etiquette & taboos
Don’t DON'T
- Do not carve on plaques, steles or woodwork
- do not use flash directly on exhibits
- do not talk loudly
Locals appreciate DO
- Keep quiet inside the tower
- hold the railings and watch your step on the stairs
- visit outside peak times on holidays
Plan your visit
Practical info
Travel tips
- The tower has many floors, so climb at your own pace
- holidays are crowded, so avoid peak times
- ticket and performance prices are as officially announced, and you can combine the visit with a walk along the Gan River.
- In Nanchang, take the metro or a bus to the pavilion area
- from Nanchang Station or Nanchang West Station, take a bus or taxi
- if driving, park as directed and walk in. March to May and September to November are the most comfortable months
- summer evenings bring sunset colors over the river, and winter is quieter.
Photos
Photos
Sherbet · CC BY 2.5
Huangdan2060 · CC BY 4.0
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