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| Yueyang Tower |
Yueyang Tower is one of the most famous
structures in China, renowned for its ancient literary associations.
It stands on the northeastern shore of Lake Dongting in Hunan
Province in the riverside city of Yueyang,  where
the Yangzi River intersects with the lake via canals. Originally
built in 716, the present tower was rebuilt in 1045 on another
site, and restored in the early Qing and again as recently
as 1983. In the Tang period, at the height of Chinas literary
glory, the original tower was a meeting place for famous poets
such as Li Bai, Du Fu, and Bai Juyu. In the early Song period
the tower was associated with the literary man Fan Zhongyan
(989-1052).The three-story tower is 20m (66 ft.) high, constructed
without cross-beams or nails. It includes four main halls
and 24 outer and 12 inner rooms. Three upward-curving roofs
covered with glazed yellow tiles are supported by huge red
pillars. The top of the Tower offers broad vistas of Lake
Dongting. |
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