According to a legend, it is said that in Wuchang, there was a shop of wine attended by a young called Xin. One day, a Taoist priest, in gratitude for free wine, drew a magic crane on the wall of the shop and instructed it to dance whenever it heard clapping. Thousands of people came to see the spectacle and the wine shop was always full of guests. After 10 years, the Taoist priest revisited the wine shop. He was playing his flute and then rode on the crane and was flying away towards the sky. In memory of the priest, Xin built a tower and named it Yellow Crane Tower.
The Yellow Crane Tower had a very long and complicated history of over 1,700 years. It was first built in 223, during the Three Kingdoms Period (220 - 280). Due to the ideal location, it was built by Sun Quan (182 - 252, King of Wu) as a watchtower for his army. After hundreds of years, its military function was gradually forgotten and the tower was enjoyed mainly as a picturesque location.
During the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907), many popular poems were written in praise of the Yellow Crane Tower. It was these poems that made the Tower so renowned and induced for people to visit. During the following centuries, it was destroyed and rebuilt several times. During the Ming (1368 - 1644) and Qing (1644 - 1911) Dynasties alone the tower was destroyed and rebuilt seven times. In 1884, it was completely destroyed in a fire and was not rebuilt until 1981. The tower had different architectural features in different dynasties.
The new Yellow Crane Tower is regarded as the symbol of Wuhan city. It is considered one of the Four Great Towers of China. In its modern version it has the appearance of an ancient tower but is built of modern materials and includes an elevator. The Yellow Crane Tower has an architectural style between the classic and the modern stile; it does that is an excellent example of poetry and beauty.
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| Flat Stanley at the Yellow Crane Tower |
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| The Yellow Crane Tower |
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| Two cranes standing on a snake on the back of turtles |
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