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The tower at Yueyang City is one of the three
famous towers south of the Yangtze River, Yellow Crane Tower of Hubei and
Tangwangge Mansion of Jiangxi being the other two. Originally constructed
during the Tang Dynasty (716 AD), it is said the tower was once a reviewing
stand, during the Three Kingdoms Period (221-265 AD), for the Wu Kingdom
General Lu Shu to train his naval forces on the Dong Ting Lake, then the
largest lake in China.
(Yueyang tower over the history:
picture 1,
picture 2,
picture 3,
picture 4,
and picture 5.)
During the fifth year of the reign of Song Emperor Qingli (1045), when the
tower was renovated, Fan Zhongyan, a well known writer, was invited to
compose an essay. His "Remarks of Yueyang Tower," made the tower
famous, and has been deeply rooted in the Chinese people's mind from
generation to generation. "One should first show concern of the state
and the last to enjoy himself," he wrote. (Other translation:
"One should be the first to bear hardship, the last to enjoy
comforts")
"Don't feel happy
just with wealth satisfaction! Don't be sad in self suffering condition!",
he also wrote.
Made of wood with interlocking brackets that required no nails its main
building has three stories and is 19.72 meters in height. The roof looks like
a helmet and four huge nanmu pillars support the upper floor. At each layer
around the main building are open corridors decked with flat seat. The
current structure was rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty (1867 AD) during the reign
of Tong Zhi, and the latest major renovation was done just before I went to
the Yueyang No. 1 High school, situated across the street from the tower. It
was thought provoking walking on the Dong Ting Lake beach at the foot of the
tower during the sunset, while reciting
Fan's essay. The scene exactly reflected what was described in his article.
Walking up the long stairs and standing on top of the tower, one's spirit was
transcend beyond the space and time. Only the singing of Fan's poem echoing
in the air:
The lake embraces distant hills and devours the Yangzi,
its mighty waves rolling endlessly.
From morning glow to evening light,
the views change a thousand then thousand times.
On top of the tower the mind relaxes, the heart delights.
All honors and disgrace are forgotten.
What pleasure, what joy to sit here and drink in the breeze.
Fan Zhongyan (989-1052)
Attachment 1: Fan Zhongyan’s article in Chinese
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