Yueyu Tower

Yueyu Tower

Yueyu Tower is the main structure on the central island of Nanhu Lake in Jiaxing and has now become the general term for the entire garden on the island. From south to north, the building features a three-bay gate hall at the front and a two-story tower at the rear, spanning five bays in width and two bays in depth, all encircled by corridors. On the second floor, a plaque inscribed with the characters "Yueyu Tower" in the handwriting of Emperor Qianlong hangs in the center. To the east of the tower lies the Qingyang Study, and to the west is the Duishan Studio, both with three bays. In the northeast stands an octagonal pavilion, and in the southeast, there is a square four-cornered pavilion. To the southwest, rocks are piled to form a hill, beneath which a winding cave leads upward along stone steps, culminating at the top in a hexagonal open pavilion named Yiyi Pavilion. This tower offers the highest vantage point over Chenghu Lake. Leaning on the railing and looking into the distance, one can see scenic spots such as the Wan Shu Garden, Rehe Spring, and Yongyou Temple in clear view. During summer and autumn, when mist and rain shroud the area, the scene resembles an ink painting of landscape.

The Main Building of Yueyu Tower Yueyu Tower is the main structure on the central island of Nanhu Lake in Jiaxing and has now become the general term for the entire garden on the island. The main building of Yueyu Tower is a two-story structure about 20 meters high, with a construction area of over 640 square meters. It features double eaves, painted beams, red pillars, and bright windows, appearing even more majestic under the cover of green trees. A plaque inscribed with the characters "Yueyu Tower" hangs from the front eave. The name of Yueyu Tower originates from the poetic line by the Tang Dynasty poet Du Mu: “Of the four hundred eighty temples of the Southern Dynasties, how many towers and terraces are now veiled in misty rain?” The tower was first built during the Later Jin period of the Five Dynasties (936–947 AD), originally located on the shore of Nanhu Lake. Qian Yuanyao, the fourth son of the King of Wuyue, who was also the Zhongwu Jiedushi (military governor) and the Guangling Prince, “built a platform by the Mandarin Duck Lake to host guests,” serving as a place for sightseeing and viewing from above. It was later destroyed, and no ruins remain today. In the 27th year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1548 AD), Zhao Ying, the prefect of Jiaxing, dredged the city river and used the excavated silt to fill part of the lake, forming a small central island. The following year, a tower was built on the island in imitation of the old appearance of "Yueyu Tower." After subsequent expansions and reconstructions, it gradually became a renowned riverside tower in the Jiangnan region, notable for its distinctive garden features. Emperor Qianlong visited the Jiangnan region six times and climbed Yueyu Tower eight times, composing over twenty poems in praise of the tower’s scenery. Yueyu Tower is situated on the central island in the lake. Since its construction, it has undergone several cycles of prosperity and decline, bearing witness to historical changes. It was not until the 7th year of the Republic of China (1918) that Zhang Changqing, the magistrate of Jiaxing, raised funds through donations with local gentry to rebuild Yueyu Tower. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the Party and the people’s government carried out extensive renovations multiple times, breathing new life into this ancient garden. The current layout was eventually formed. Yueyu Tower — “a platform built by the Mandarin Duck Lake to host guests” — served as a place for sightseeing and viewing from above. Climbing Yueyu Tower to view the scenery of Nanhu Lake offers a unique experience. In summer, leaning on the railing and gazing into the distance, one sees boundless green lotus leaves stretching to the horizon across the lake; in spring, with fine drizzling rain, the lake is enveloped in a hazy mist, with the entire scenery submerged in a veil of fog.

Geographic Location

Yueyu Tower is a famous scenic spot in Jiaxing. Many people outside the area know that Jiaxing has “Yueyu Tower”! The fame of Yueyu Tower is inseparable from an article written by Zhang Dai in the late Ming Dynasty. While the Grand View Tower in Kunming, the Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan, and the Yueyang Tower in Yueyang are all grand and towering, and can be described as “looming,” Yueyu Tower is “seated,” “seated” within walls and atop a platform. Yueyu Tower is the main structure on the central island of Nanhu Lake in Jiaxing and has now become the general term for the entire garden on the island. The entire garden covers 11 mu, with towers, halls, pavilions, and kiosks arranged in a scattered fashion, surrounded by short walls and winding railings, with long embankments encircling the area on all sides.

Historical Records

During the Later Jin period of the Five Dynasties (around 940 AD), Qian Yuanyao, the Guangling King of the Wuyue Kingdom, built a building by Nanhu Lake as a “place for viewing from above.” At that time, it was not yet called “Yueyu Tower.” According to the Zhì Yuán Jiā Héng Zhì (Records of Jiaxing from the Zhì Yuán Era), the three characters “Yueyu Tower” first appeared in the ci poem “Shuǐ Diào Gē Tóu · Tí Yueyu Lóu” by Wu Qian of the Southern Song Dynasty. Although the lakeside Yueyu Tower changed ownership several times and experienced cycles of prosperity and decline, it remained a prime spot for enjoying the lake view. In the 28th year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1549), Zhao Ying, the prefect of Jiaxing, built Yueyu Tower on the central island of the lake, thus situating the tower in the water. After several restorations, the tower was destroyed by the end of the Ming Dynasty and rebuilt in the early Qing Dynasty. The main building faces south and looks toward the city wall. By the time of Emperor Qianlong’s southern tours, the tower was modified to face south while its back leaned against the city wall.

Emperor Qianlong visited Yueyu Tower numerous times during his six southern tours, often composing poems in high praise of it, and even personally painted a picture of the tower. The painting was engraved on stone and placed inside the tower. A replica of the tower was also constructed on Qinglian Island in the Mountain Resort in Chengde, Rehe, modeled after Yueyu Tower. In the early years of the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty, Yueyu Tower was once again destroyed in war, and it was not until the 7th year of the Republic of China (1918) that the main building was reconstructed, forming its current layout. During the Anti-Japanese War, the tower was occupied by the Japanese army and used as a canteen for the “Central China Railway Company.” It was only reopened to the public after the victory of the war. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the Party and the people’s government carried out extensive renovations multiple times, breathing new life into this ancient garden.

Scenic Spot Location

Central island of Nanhu Lake, Nanhu District, Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province, China