Yanshui Pavilion

Yanshui Pavilion

Yanshui Pavilion is located on Gantang Lake on the southern bank of the Yangtze River in Jiujiang City. It is said to have been the site of the military command platform of Zhou Yu, a famous general from the Three Kingdoms period. The Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi first built a pavilion on the lake, naming it "Jinyue Pavilion" (Immersion Moon Pavilion) after a line from his poem "Pipa Xing" ("Song of the Pipa"): “At parting, the vast river was steeped in moonlight.” During the Song Dynasty, the Neo-Confucian scholar Zhou Dunyi, while lecturing in Jiujiang, built another pavilion on the lake dike, naming it "Yanshui Pavilion" (Mist-covered Water Pavilion) after a line from a poem that read “The mountain hues and water tints are veiled in thin mist.” Over time, both pavilions were destroyed. By the late Ming Dynasty, Yanshui Pavilion was rebuilt on the former site of Jinyue Pavilion.

On Gantang Lake, the pavilion stands far removed from the mundane world. Crossing a winding zigzag bridge and passing through a cave-like gate, you arrive at Yanshui Pavilion, which is surrounded by water on all sides. Nestled within whitewashed walls, towering structures, lush greenery, and a mirror-flat lake, it feels like stepping into a paradise on earth. The pavilion is a waterside structure featuring various sections such as the Boat Hall, Cui Zhao Pavilion, Jingbo Tower, and Chunyang Hall. On the left wall of the Chunyang Hall is inlaid a stone stele engraved with a large grass-style character “Shou” (longevity), composed of the four characters “Jiuzhuan Liandan” (Nine-Turn Elixir Refinement), believed to be the handwriting of Lü Dongbin. Among the cultural relics displayed in the hall, the most eye-catching is a sand bowl marked with the insignia of Donglin Temple. In front of the pavilion lies a small courtyard enclosed by stone railings that rise from the water’s edge, dotted with weeping willows and cypresses. On both sides are carved stone “Sword-Hiding Caskets,” said to have been created because the blades of the Twin Sword Peaks of northern Mount Lu point directly toward Jiujiang, prompting locals to carve stone caskets to contain their perceived threat. Looking southward from Yanshui Pavilion, across the shimmering lake surface where water meets shore, the undulating blue-gray mountains in the distance are none other than the world-renowned summer retreat, Mount Lu. The view from Yanshui Pavilion offers a truly unique spectacle.

Address: On Gantang Lake, Xunyang District, Jiujiang City

Category

Type: Historical Site / Historic Architecture

Recommended Visit Duration: About 1 hour

Ticket Information:

Gate Price: 20.0 RMB

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units