Yue Yang Tower

"Be the first to worry about the world's worries and the last to enjoy its pleasures"—this line from Fan Zhongyan's Northern Song dynasty essay "Yueyang Tower chronicle" made Yue Yang Tower by Dongting Lake a household name. The main tower, Yueyang Tower, is said to have evolved from a naval review tower built by Lu Su of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period. Alongside Yellow Crane Tower in Hubei and Tengwang Pavilion in Jiangxi, it is hailed as one of the three great towers of southern China. Poets like Li Bai, Du Fu, Meng Haoran, and Bai Juyi once climbed it to compose verses. From the top floor, leaning on the railings, you can take in the vast expanse of Dongting Lake stretching hundreds of miles, with Junshan Island visible across the waters—where timeless verses and the lake's beauty converge in this moment.

The tower itself is an architectural treasure: its three-story, triple-eave structure is built entirely of wood with mortise-and-tenon joints—no iron nails used—and four golden nanmu pillars run straight from the ground to the rooftop. The helmet-shaped roof, called "helmet crown," is supported by layered ruyi bracket sets, a rare design among surviving ancient towers in China. Inside, carved Qing-dynasty panels of "Yueyang Tower chronicle" are preserved—pause to admire them when ascending.

The small attractions within the attraction each have their own highlights: near the gate, the "Five-dynasty towers" use bronze miniature models to recreate Yueyang Tower's different architectural styles from the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, showcasing a millennium of changes at a glance. On the lakeshore in front of the main tower, ancient iron artifacts resembling shackles and weighing several tons are displayed—their casting era and purpose remain debated, forming a long-standing historical mystery. Additionally, there are the Shuanggong Shrine commemorating Fan Zhongyan and Teng Zijing, the stele corridor engraved with poems about the tower from various dynasties, and the Xiaoqiao Tomb—said to belong to the wife of Three Kingdoms general Zhou Yu—waiting to be explored.

If you wish to extend your itinerary, you may also take a boat tour of Dongting Lake and visit Junshan Island on the opposite shore. The nearby Bianhe Street, a cobblestone-paved antique-style street, is lined with local snack stalls and souvenir shops, making it convenient to explore along with the nearby Baling Square.