Yellow River Tower

Yellow River Tower

The Yellow River Tower is located on the west bank of the Yellow River and the east side of the Binhe Avenue in Qingtongxia. It is a landmark building constructed by the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region as part of the development of the Yellow River urban belt.

The Yellow River Tower has a total construction area of 23,600 square meters and stands 108 meters tall. It consists of the main tower, corner towers, a memorial archway, twelve zodiac totem pillars, the Iron Ox that Calms the River, and other auxiliary buildings and sculptures. The main structure of the Yellow River Tower is divided into three parts: the basement, the city platform, and the tower pavilion. Its architectural style is a Ming and Qing dynasty-inspired antique design. The main building features a concrete frame-shear wall structure, with cantilevered eaves made of steel. The brackets are all crafted from aluminum-magnesium alloy and decorated with “Harmony Seal” colored paintings. The top is designed with a double-eaved cross ridge in a local style, and the roof is covered with golden glazed tiles, giving the entire structure a grand and majestic appearance.

The Yellow River Tower has eleven floors in total — nine above ground (including two mezzanines) and two underground. The theme of the first floor above ground is “Ode to the Yellow River,” showcasing the majestic momentum of the river as if descending from the heavens, tracing its 5,000-year history and vast reach across thousands of miles, surveying the great river civilizations of the world’s four ancient civilizations, interpreting the Yellow River as the mother river of the Chinese nation, reflecting the rebirth of traditional Chinese Yellow River agricultural civilization, and highlighting the regional characteristic that “the Yellow River enriches Ningxia.” The theme of the second floor above ground is “Affection for the Yellow River,” interpreting the Yellow River as the cradle of Chinese civilization, retracing the golden childhood of the Chinese nation in the primeval Yellow River basin, paying homage to the Three Sovereigns, Five Emperors, and Yu the Great — the humanistic ancestors of China who originated from the Yellow River region, expressing the galaxy of wisdom from the Hundred Schools of Thought during the foundational era of the Yellow River basin, celebrating the Chinese characters that originated from the Yellow River region, and promoting the technological brilliance of the Four Great Inventions of China that also arose from the Yellow River basin. Floors three through seven are themed “Winds of the Yellow River,” housing exquisite cultural relics such as oracle bones, bronze ware, ceramics, jade artifacts, and intangible cultural heritage, presenting the elegant demeanor of Chinese Yellow River civilization through objects that carry profound meaning. The eighth floor is themed “Heart of the Yellow River” and serves as the sightseeing floor for visitors.