Ancient Towers in Chinese Literature
(中国文学中的楼阁)
6 min read
Certain ancient buildings hold profound significance in Chinese literature as enduring symbols of cultural and historical expression. Among the most celebrated are Yueyang Tower (岳阳楼), Yellow Crane Tower (黄鹤楼), and Tengwang Pavilion (滕王阁). Often referred to as the “Three Great Towers” (三大名楼), they inspired some of the most renowned works in Chinese literary history and, in turn, were immortalized by the very writings they inspired.
Yueyang Tower
Yueyang Tower, located on the shores of Lake Dongting (洞庭湖) in Hunan Province (湖南省), was originally built by the State of Wu (吴国) around 210 CE during the Three Kingdoms period (三国时代) for military defense. During the Tang Dynasty (7th–9th centuries), it gradually became a scenic destination for poets and scholars. The tower has been destroyed and rebuilt multiple times throughout history; the present structure, constructed in 1880, follows earlier architectural styles (image below). The opening image depicts a Yuan Dynasty (元朝, 1271–1368) painting of the tower.
Yueyang Tower fascinated poets of both the Tang and Song dynasties. Du Fu’s (杜甫) 8th-century poem Ascent of Yueyang Tower (登岳阳楼) is among the most celebrated literary works associated with the site. It begins with a depiction of the tower’s grandeur and concludes with the poet’s deep concern for the fate of the world. Li Bai (李白), a contemporary of Du Fu, also wrote about the tower; his poem Ascending Yueyang Tower with Xia Shi’er (与夏十二登岳阳楼) captures both the majesty of the setting and the joy of companionship and wine. Other Tang and Song poets—including Meng Haoran (孟浩然), Bai Juyi (白居易), and Su Shi (苏轼)—also composed works inspired by the tower.
Yet none of these writings rivals the influence of On Yueyang Tower (岳阳楼记), an essay by Fan Zhongyan (范仲淹), a towering scholar-official (士大夫) of the Northern Song Dynasty (11th century). Fan wrote the essay to commemorate the reopening of the renovated tower while he himself was in political exile following the failure of the Qingli Reform (庆历新政). The essay vividly depicts the tower’s changing scenery while articulating Fan’s unwavering sense of moral responsibility to the state.
Its most famous lines—“Do not rejoice in material gain or grieve over personal loss. When serving in the imperial court, worry for the people; when you are away from the court, worry for the emperor… Be the first to worry about the world’s troubles and the last to enjoy its pleasures” (不以物喜, 不以己悲. 居庙堂之高则忧其民, 处江湖之远则忧其君…先天下之忧而忧, 后天下之乐而乐)—have become a moral credo for generations of scholar-officials, expressing an enduring ideal of public service.
Yellow Crane Tower
Yellow Crane Tower, located in present-day Wuhan, Hubei Province (湖北省武汉市), was first built in 223 CE by the State of Wu for defensive purposes. It has been destroyed twelve times by war or fire; the most recent reconstruction was completed in 1985 (image below). Over the centuries, the tower has inspired countless poets and writers, from Cui Hao (崔颢) and Li Bai in the Tang Dynasty to many others.
Cui Hao’s poem Yellow Crane Tower is renowned for its blend of myth, nostalgia, and philosophical reflection, making it one of the most celebrated poems in Chinese literature. Its opening lines read:
“Long ago, a yellow crane carried a sage away (昔人已乘黄鹤去),
Leaving this place with only the tower behind (此地空余黄鹤楼).
Once gone, the yellow crane never returns (黄鹤一去不复返),
For a thousand years, white clouds drift in vain (白云千载空悠悠).”
Li Bai, deeply impressed by Cui Hao’s poem, later composed a farewell poem at the same site for his friend Meng Haoran (孟浩然). Filled with lyrical beauty and bittersweet emotion, it remains a staple of Chinese literature education:
“I bid my old friend farewell at Yellow Crane Tower (故人西辞黄鹤楼);
In misty spring, he heads east to Yangzhou (烟花三月下扬州).
The lone sail fades into the distant blue (孤帆远影碧空尽);
All that remains is the Yangtze flowing to the horizon (唯见长江天际流).”
Tengwang Pavilion
Tengwang Pavilion, a landmark of Nanchang in Jiangxi Province (江西省南昌市), was originally built in 653 CE during the Tang Dynasty. Destroyed and rebuilt many times, the current structure—completed in 1989—stands on its original site (image below). Its enduring fame derives chiefly from Wang Bo’s (王勃) Preface to the Tengwang Pavilion Collection (滕王阁序), composed extemporaneously at a banquet in 675 CE. This masterpiece of classical Chinese prose firmly established the pavilion as a literary and cultural icon.
The Preface showcases Wang Bo’s extraordinary talent through ornate parallel prose, dense allusions, and vivid imagery. It opens with a celebrated description of landscape and atmosphere: “The setting sun and a solitary goose fly together; the autumn waters and vast sky share a single hue” (落霞与孤鹜齐飞, 秋水共长天一色). Praising the assembled guests, he observes, “This land is blessed with outstanding talents” (地灵人杰).
The tone then shifts to reflection and melancholy, contemplating the fleeting nature of glory and the frustration of unrealized ambition. Historical examples of misfortune subtly mirror Wang Bo’s own circumstances. Yet the essay concludes not in despair but in resilient affirmation: “Though old, one should grow more resolute; though poor, one should remain steadfast. Why forsake one’s youthful aspirations?” (老当益壮, 宁移白首之心? 穷且益坚, 不坠青云之志).
The Preface thus moves from celebration of talent, through awareness of life’s transience, to a firm commitment to moral purpose—a meditation on how to live with dignity amid impermanence.
For more than a millennium, these three towers have inspired literary masterpieces, shaped aesthetic standards, and influenced generations of writers. They are not merely architectural structures but enduring symbols of Chinese literary, philosophical, and cultural tradition. Through their literary associations, these towers have remained alive in the collective memory of the Chinese people, standing as immortal emblems of culture, reflection, and national identity.
Photo credit: Baidu.com