Yueyang Pavilion is located at the Western Gate of Yueyang City, with Baling Mountain in the east, Dongting Lake in the west, the Yangtze River in the north and the Xiangjiang River in the south. The saying goes that 'Dongting Lake surpasses all the water scenes in the world, while Yueyang Pavilion deserves to be the best tower'. Together with the Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan, Tengwang Tower in Nanchang, these are considered the three most famous towers in South China.
Initially Yueyang Pavilion was a parade tower, the 'Baling City Tower', of the Wu State (229 - 280) during the Three Kingdoms Period (220 - 280) of China. It functioned mainly on military occasions. From the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) it was frequently described by many great poets. The name of the pavilion was also changed to Yueyang Pavilion during that time. In the Northern Song Dynasty (960 - 1127), the eminent writer and politician Fan Zhongyan wrote an inspiring prose, Notes of Yueyang Pavilion, which resulted in a widespread reputation for the tower. During the over 1,700 years of history of the pavilion, numerous literati have visited it and left many poems, prose, drawings, and sculptures on it.
In the past, Yueyang Pavilion has been destroyed and rebuilt many times. The present tower was renovated in 1984, following the style of design from the year 1880 in the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911). The tower is 25.35 m (83 ft) tall, with three stories and a tetragonal shape. The body is constructed purely of wood, with four nanmu (a kind of special Chinese wood) pillars in the middle. The roof is covered with yellow glazed tiles, designed in the shape of a raised and plicate helmet, a unique ancient architectural style.
Yueyang Pavilion is one of the best spots to take in the panoramic view of the extensive Dongting Lake. Inside the pavilion are also stored many famous scripts of past literati. Beside the pavilion, there are also many other cultural relics in the park, such as Sanzui Pavilion, Xianmei Pavilion, Huaifu Pavilion, Iron Cangue and Waxwork Hall.
Entrance Fee:CNY 80 for adults; CNY 40 for students; Free for kids under 1.2 m
Opening Hours: 07:00 - 18:30 (May to Sep.); 07:30 - 18:00 (Oct. to Apr.)
Bus Routes: Take Bus No. 9, 10, 15, 19, 22, 24, 25, 29, 33 or 34 and get off at Yueyanglou stop.
More Top Tourist Attractions: Dongting Lake Junshan Hill