Xiabang

Xiabang

Xiabang, with “Lotus Scent Drifting from the West” on one side and “Dewdrops from Bamboo Chiming Clearly in the East” on the other. Snake Mountain is rich in bamboo groves and was historically known as Purple Bamboo Ridge, and also home to many potted lotus plants. The Tang Dynasty poet Meng Haoran wrote in his poem “Thinking of Xin Da on a Summer Day at the Southern Pavilion”: “The lotus breeze brings wafts of fragrance, / Dewdrops from bamboo chime with a clear sound.” This transverse plaque inscription is a simplified version of that poetic line, recreating the unique scenery of Yellow Crane Tower in summer. The calligraphy was done by Zhou Yongji and Wan Jun.