Tengwang Pavilion (滕王阁), located in Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, stands on the east bank of the Gan River, at the intersection of the Gan River and the ancient Poyang Lake waterway. It is a landmark building of Nanchang and a symbol of the ancient Yuzhang civilization. Originally built in the fourth year of the Yonghui period of the Tang Dynasty (653 AD), it was constructed by Li Yuanying, the younger brother of Emperor Taizong of Tang, who served as the governor of Hongzhou in Jiangnan. The current structure was reconstructed in 1985. The pavilion is renowned due to the famous prose “Preface to Tengwang Pavilion” written by the early Tang Dynasty poet Wang Bo.
Tengwang Pavilion, along with Yueyang Tower in Hunan and Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan, Hubei, is known as one of the “Three Great Towers of Jiangnan.” It is also one of China’s Four Great Towers and one of the “Top Ten Historical and Cultural Towers in China,” often referred to as the “First Tower of the Xijiang River.”
The main building of Tengwang Pavilion stands 57.5 meters high and covers a construction area of 13,000 square meters. Its base is a 12-meter high platform symbolizing ancient city walls, divided into two levels. Above the platform, the main pavilion follows the “three-bright and seven-dark” architectural style, featuring three visible floors with corridors and seven internal levels, including three bright floors, three dark floors, and an attic. The main ridge of the pavilion is adorned with special imitations of Song Dynasty roof decorations, standing 3.5 meters tall.
Table of Contents
- Basic Information
- Location and Transportation
- Highlights of Tengwang Pavilion
- Vlog about Tengwang Pavilion
- History of Tengwang Pavilion
- Other Attractions in Nanchang Urban Area
Basic Information
| Estimated Length of Tour | 1 – 2 hours |
| Ticket Price | 50 RMB |
| Opening Hours | 8.00 – 22.00; Last admission: 21.00 |
| Telephone Number | 0086-0791-86702036 |
Location and Transportation
Tengwang Pavilion is located at 58 Fanggu Street, Donghu District, Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province. To get there, you can choose one of the following ways:
Bus: Take bus 2, 12, 26, 38, 39, 170, or 229 and get off at Tengwang Pavilion Stop (滕王阁站).
Metro: The closest metro station to Tengwang Pavilion is Wanshougong (万寿宫) on line 1. After getting out of the station from Exit 3, walk about 600 meters to the north to reach the attraction.
Highlights of Tengwang Pavilion
Song-Style Exterior
The Tengwang Pavilion is an architectural marvel, standing at an impressive height of 57.5 meters. The building covers a total area of 13,000 square meters. Its base, symbolizing ancient city walls, is a 12-meter high platform divided into two levels. Above this platform, the main pavilion follows a “three-bright and seven-dark” design, a style that features three visible floors with corridors and seven internal levels and an attic.
The pavilion’s roof is adorned with specially crafted tiles and decorations. The main ridge is capped with a Song Dynasty-style dragon-shaped ridge ornament, standing 3.5 meters tall. The eaves are decorated with unique tile designs, with the ends of the tiles inscribed with the phrase “滕阁秋风 Autumn Wind of Tengwang Pavilion” and the drip tiles featuring the “孤鹜 Solitary Goose” pattern. Below the platform, there are two gourd-shaped artificial lakes that connect from north to south. A scenic Nine-Bend Bridge spans the northern lake, adding to the pavilion’s picturesque setting.
Access to the pavilion is via three entrances on the second-tier platform. The main eastern entrance features a set of stone steps leading to the main hall, while the north and south sides offer entry through lower corridors. In front of the eastern entrance, there is a bronze “八怪 Eight Monsters” treasure tripod. The tripod stands approximately 2.5 meters tall and rests on a white marble base. It is designed with a tri-legged ancient style, with the upper part forming a round pavilion-style roof.
Interior Structure
First Floor: The first floor features four horizontal plaques under the eaves. The eastern side displays the “瑰伟绝特 Magnificent and Unique” Nine-Dragon Plaque, inspired by Han Yu’s “New Reconstruction of Tengwang Pavilion.” The western side has a grand plaque reading “下临无地 Overlooking Boundless Land,” while the north and south corridors bear the plaques “襟江 River” and “带湖 Lake,” respectively. Inside, there is a white marble relief sculpture titled “Wind Sending Tengwang Pavilion,” inspired by Feng Menglong’s “Stories to Awaken the World.” In the center of the western beam hangs a gold plaque with the inscription “西江第一楼 First Tower of the Xijiang River” by Bai Dongcai.
Second Floor: The second-floor main hall is adorned with a large acrylic mural titled “Portraits of Great People,” which measures 2.55 meters in height and over 20 meters in length.
Third Floor: The third floor features a corridor encircling the pavilion and is one of the most significant levels. The central hall showcases an acrylic mural titled “Dream of Linchuan,” depicting Tang Xianzu’s performance of “The Peony Pavilion” at Tengwang Pavilion.
Fourth Floor: The fourth floor emphasizes the theme of “Earth’s Spirit.” The main hall’s walls are decorated with an acrylic mural titled “Earth’s Spirit.”
Fifth Floor: This floor features another encircling corridor, with four golden plaques under the eaves, each bearing content from “Preface to Tengwang Pavilion.”
Sixth Floor: The sixth floor is the highest accessible level of Tengwang Pavilion. Between the eastern and western eaves, two large gold plaques hang, each inscribed with “Tengwang Pavilion” by Su Dongpo.
Anecdotes and Legends
One of the most famous stories associated with Tengwang Pavilion involves the renowned Tang Dynasty poet Wang Bo. On the 9th day of the 9th lunar month in the year 675 (during the Tang Dynasty’s Shangyuan Era), which coincided with the Chongyang Festival, the Governor of Hongzhou, Yan Boyu, hosted a grand banquet at Tengwang Pavilion. Yan Boyu had planned for his son-in-law to compose a preface for the pavilion to showcase his literary talent to the guests. Coincidentally, Wang Bo, who was on his way to Jiaozhi (modern-day Vietnam) to visit his father, happened to pass through Hongzhou and joined the banquet.
Pretending to be polite, Yan Boyu asked Wang Bo to write the preface, intending to gauge his abilities. Wang Bo, known for his extraordinary talent, readily agreed and quickly composed a masterpiece. Initially, Yan Boyu was displeased, as he was skeptical of Wang Bo’s abilities and left his seat in disappointment. However, as the guests started reading the preface and marveling at its exquisite language and imagery, Yan Boyu’s mood shifted from displeasure to delight.
The preface, known as “Preface to Tengwang Pavilion” (滕王阁序), includes the famous lines “The setting sun and solitary duck fly together; the autumn water and the sky are of the same color” (“落霞与孤鹜齐飞，秋水共长天一色”). These lines left everyone in awe and instantly turned Wang Bo into the highlight of the event. The preface became a celebrated work, elevating the fame of Tengwang Pavilion and solidifying its place in Chinese literary history.
Vlog about Tengwang Pavilion
History of Tengwang Pavilion
Tengwang Pavilion, originally built in the fourth year of the Yonghui period of the Tang Dynasty (653 AD), was constructed by Li Yuanying, the younger brother of Emperor Taizong of Tang, during his tenure as the governor of Hongzhou in Jiangnan. This initial construction marked the beginning of the pavilion’s long and storied history.
In the second year of the Shangyuan period (675 AD), the governor of Hongzhou, Yan Boju, oversaw the first major reconstruction of the pavilion. It was during this time that the famous poet Wang Bo composed his renowned work “Preface to Tengwang Pavilion,” which significantly contributed to the pavilion’s fame.
Tragedy struck in the second year of the Dazhong period (848 AD) when Tengwang Pavilion was destroyed by fire. The Jiangxi surveillance commissioner, He Gan, promptly rebuilt it on the original site, completing the reconstruction in August of the same year.
The pavilion faced several reconstructions during the Song Dynasty. Notably, in the second year of the Daguan period (1108 AD), the prefect of Hongzhou, Fan Tan, undertook a significant rebuilding effort.
In the early Yuan Dynasty, Tengwang Pavilion fell into disrepair due to ongoing conflicts. However, in the thirty-first year of the Zhiyuan period (1294 AD), a restoration project was initiated, bringing the pavilion to a height of approximately 18 meters.
The Ming Dynasty saw multiple reconstructions. In the fifth year of the Jiajing period (1526 AD), Chief Minister Chen Hongmo rebuilt the pavilion, expanding it to seven rooms. Tragically, it was destroyed by fire in the forty-fourth year of the Wanli period (1616 AD). Efforts to rebuild were led by Wang Zaijin and Wang Zuo, who raised funds for the project.
In the Qing Dynasty, Tengwang Pavilion was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt. It was destroyed during the siege of Nanchang by Qing forces in the fifth year of the Shunzhi period (1648 AD). It was rebuilt by Jiangxi Governor Cai Shiying in the eleventh year of the Shunzhi period (1654 AD). Fires in the eighteenth (1679 AD), twenty-first (1682 AD), twenty-fourth (1685 AD), and forty-first (1702 AD) years of the Kangxi period led to multiple reconstructions, with contributions from figures such as An Shiding and Song Luo. Another fire in the forty-fifth year of the Kangxi period (1706 AD) left only the “Imperial Stele Pavilion” intact, prompting further rebuilding by Governor Lang Tingji. Additional fires and reconstructions occurred in the ninth year of the Yongzheng period (1731 AD) and the first year of the Qianlong period (1736 AD), led by Governor Zhao Hong’en and Governor Yu Zhaoyue.
In the twenty-sixth year of the Daoguang period (1846 AD), the pavilion was once again destroyed by fire and subsequently rebuilt. However, it was destroyed again in the twenty-eighth year of the Daoguang period (1848 AD) and rebuilt by Governor Fu Shengxun. During the Taiping Rebellion in the third year of the Xianfeng period (1853 AD), the pavilion was destroyed by fire yet again, but it was rebuilt afterward.
The final major fire of the Qing Dynasty occurred at the end of the Guangxu period (1908 AD). The pavilion was rebuilt in the first year of the Xuantong period (1909 AD) but on a reduced scale.
In modern times, reconstruction efforts began on October 1, 1983, with the project officially starting on October 22, 1985. The rebuilt Tengwang Pavilion was completed and opened to the public on October 8, 1989, marking the latest chapter in its long history.
