One of the four Great Towers of China.-Yuejiang Tower
By admin on 2015-01-16

Yuejiang Tower, known as one of the four Great Towers of China, is in the the northwest of Nanjing, close to Yangtze River. Inside the scenic spot are more than 30 historical sites such as Yuejiang Tower, Wanxian Pavilion, Ancient Fort, Sun Yat-sen Yuejiang Site, Five Army Tunnel and Ancient City Wall, turning out to be a tourist resort integrating human landscape and natural landscape.

Lion Mountain, with original name as Lulong Mountain, is 2 kilometers long, once appraised as “Shiling Grandeur” and being one of 48 Jinling sceneries. Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of Ming Dynasty, defeated Chen Youliang in Lulong Mountain which laid a solid foundation for the establishment of Ming Dynasty in its later capital Nanjing. Upon Zhu Yuanzhang became the emperor, he renamed the Lulong Mountain as Lion Mountain and ordered to build up Yuejiang Tower at the top of the Mountain, wrote the “Yuejang Tower” and asked every subjects to write a passage on Yueyang Tower. The passage written by the great scholar, Song Lian, finally selected among the Gems from Chinese Culture.

Yuejiang Tower is built up and opened to the public in 2001, which put an end to the history of “Passage but No Tower”. The Yuejiang Tower is 52 meters high, seven floors in total (four floors outside but three floors inside). With green glazed tile, red columns, and beautiful pattern, it is of striking style of Ming Dynasty as well as the classical royal manner and thus becomes one symbol of Nanjing.       

At the just center of Yuejiang Tower is decorated with huge-size encaustic of “The Adventures of Zheng He” made in Jingde Town. The picture is 12.8 meters high and 8 meters wide. Composed of 12 parts with rich colors and splendid vigor, it offers a panoramic description of the grand history from 1405 to 1433 when Zheng He sailed to the Atlantic. It includes the great pomp such as ship building, scientific sailing, conquering ocean, peaceful diplomacy, good-neighborly relationship, transmission of civilization, equal trading and culture exchanges as well as local customs and practices in western countries. In addition, the huge encaustic picture also demonstrated the situations that Emperor Yongle built up “Jinghai Temple”, “Tianfeigong Palace” and erected “Tianfei Palace Tablet” to pray for the safety for Zheng He during his sailing. Meanwhile, inside the hall, there is one copy of Zheng He’s Boat and a huge rusty anchor which vividly proved that Nanjing was originally the major ship-building location for the adventures of Zheng He and the largest ship building base in the world at that time.                                                              

Mounting the Yunjiang Tower, looking far away, the broad river scenery all comes to you and makes you feel completely relaxed and happy. Looking forward against the River, the panorama of scenery in Nanjing is in full view. Nanjang Yuejiang Tower, together with Huanghe Tower in Wuhan, Yueyang Tower in Yueyang and Tengwang Tower in Nanchang, is named as Four Great Towers of China.