Pavilion of the Poet Immortal Li Bai

Pavilion of the Poet Immortal Li Bai

The Pavilion of the Poet Immortal Li Bai is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Pavilion of the Poet Immortal Li Bai is located about one kilometer southwest of the ancient town of Caishi Jetty. Facing the Yangtze River and backed by Cui Luo Mountain, it is a resplendent and magnificent ancient structure nestled in lush greenery. Along with Yueyang Tower in Hunan, Yellow Crane Tower in Hubei, and Tengwang Pavilion in Jiangxi, it is known as one of the “Three Towers and One Pavilion of the Yangtze,” and is often praised as “a tower that captures the moonlight and river scenery.” The pavilion was originally named the Zhexian Tower. According to old records, it was first built during the Yuanhe era of the Tang Dynasty, but due to the brevity of the documentation, details remain unclear. The earliest confirmed construction date is the fifth year of the Zhengtong era in the Ming Dynasty. In that year, Zhou Zhen, Vice Minister of Works, ordered the monk Xiuhui from Guangji Temple to build the Qingfeng Pavilion in front of the temple, and simultaneously constructed the Zhexian Tower in front of the temple, where a statue of Li Bai was enshrined and worshipped. In the first year of the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty, Hu Jiying, Prefect of Taiping, rebuilt the structure and renamed it the “Pavilion of the Poet Immortal Li Bai.” He also relocated the Temple of Li Bai, originally near the Shenxiao Palace, to this site, forming a unified layout of tower and temple. It was destroyed during the war in the Xianfeng era. The current Pavilion of the Poet Immortal Li Bai was reconstructed in the third year of the Guangxu era with funding donated by Peng Yulin, Vice Minister of War. After several renovations following the founding of the People’s Republic of China, it has taken on a completely renewed appearance. In 1956, it was designated as a Provincial Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit of Anhui.

The Pavilion of the Poet Immortal Li Bai is eighteen meters high, thirty-four meters long, and seventeen meters wide. The main building has three floors: the first floor is a hall, the second a tower, and the third a pavilion. There are two courtyards, front and back—the front being the Pavilion itself and the rear the Temple of Li Bai. The base of the main building’s ground floor is built of bluestone, while the second and third floors are wooden structures. The upturned eaves are trimmed with gold edges, and the hip-and-gable roof is covered with yellow glazed tiles. The ridge ornaments include mythical creatures like the ao fish, giving the structure an ancient, elegant, majestic, and solemn appearance.

Legend has it that the Poet Immortal Li Bai often drank and composed poetry here. He eventually became drunk, tried to scoop the moon from the water, rode a whale into the sky, and ascended to immortality. For thousands of years, it has been celebrated as “a tower filled with scenery and poetry” and “a tower that captures the moonlight and river scenery.” The famous Qing Dynasty poet Huang Zhongze once wrote in this tower: “The whale-rider has gone, but the tower remains; the spirits of wine and poetry linger above. The railings lie flat over the river’s flow, enough to ease all your ancient sorrows with you.”

Protected area: Within 5 meters outside the surrounding walls in the east, south, west, and north.

Construction control zone: Outside the protected area, extending 20 meters to the west, 100 meters to the south, 20 meters to the north, and reaching the eastern boundary of the Li Bai Memorial Hall to the east.

The Poet Immortal Li Bai (February 8, 701 – December 762), courtesy name Taibai, art name Qinglian Jushi or Zhexian Ren, also known as Li Twelve, was a poet of the Tang Dynasty. Together with Du Fu, he is referred to as “Li-Du.” Li Bai’s works, such as “Quiet Night Thought,” “Drinking Alone under the Moon,” and “Dream Journey to Tianmu Mountain: A Farewell Poem,” have been passed down through the ages. He brought classical romanticist literature to new heights, particularly in the song-style poetry and seven-character quatrains, achieving levels difficult for later poets to surpass. His achievements in yuefu poetry, song-form poetry, and quatrains are considered the most outstanding; his style is bold and unrestrained, fresh and graceful, rich in imagination, with marvelous artistic conception and language. He is a paragon of romanticism, with lofty ideals… More details about Li Bai ++

Further reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units

Caishi Scenic Area

Caishi Jetty

Lin Sanzhi Art Museum

Ma'anshan Santai Pavilion

Wan Zhu Wu

Sanyuan Cave

Riverside Plank Walk