Yueyang Tower—A Great Place for Nearby and Family Trips

Yueyang Tower, an ancient building located on Dongting North Road in Yueyang Tower District, Yueyang City, Hunan Province, stands atop the west gate wall of the ancient city of Yueyang, adjacent to the vast Dongting Lake. From the tower, one can take in the full view of the beautiful Dongting Lake, with Junshan lying quietly ahead. The history of Yueyang Tower dates back to the 20th year of Jian'an in the Eastern Han Dynasty. After various repairs and reconstructions over the dynasties, the building we see today still maintains the appearance from its reconstruction in the sixth year of the Guangxu period in the Qing Dynasty. During the Northern Song Dynasty, Teng Zongliang renovated Yueyang Tower and invited Fan Zhongyan to write the famous essay 'Memorial to Yueyang Tower,' which brought great fame to the tower. It enjoys the reputation of 'Dongting, the world's water; Yueyang, the world's tower,' and is known alongside the Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan and the Tengwang Pavilion in Nanchang as one of the 'Three Great Towers of Jiangnan.' It is also one of China's top ten historical and cultural towers.