Taibai Tower

Taibai Tower is located one kilometer southwest of Caishi Jie ancient town, facing the Yangtze River and backed by Cuiluo Mountain, surrounded by lush greenery. It is a resplendent and magnificent ancient building. Along with Yueyang Tower in Hunan, Yellow Crane Tower in Hubei, and Tengwang Pavilion in Jiangxi, it is known as the ‘Three Towers and One Pavilion of the Yangtze River’, and has been referred to as ‘The Storehouse of Wind, Moon, and River’.

The original name of Taibai Tower was Zhe Xian Tower. According to historical records, it was first constructed during the Yuanhe period of the Tang Dynasty, but due to the simplicity of the records, the details are not clear. The earliest confirmed construction date is the fifth year of the Zhengtong period of the Ming Dynasty. In that year, Zhou Zhen, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, ordered the monk Xiu Hui of Guangji Temple to build Qingfeng Pavilion in front of the temple, and at the same time, built Zhe Xian Tower in front of the temple to enshrine a statue of Li Bai for worship. In the first year of the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, Hu Jiyong, the prefect of Taiping, rebuilt it and renamed it ‘Taibai Tower’. He also moved the Li Bai Temple from Shenxiao Palace to this location, creating a layout where the pavilion and the tower complement each other. During the Xianfeng period, it was destroyed by war. The existing Taibai Tower was rebuilt with donations from Peng Yulin, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War in the third year of the Guangxu period. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, it underwent several renovations and has been restored to a new appearance.

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Taibai Tower stands 18 meters high, 34 meters long, and 17 meters wide, with a main building of three floors – the first floor is a hall, the second floor is a tower, and the third floor is a pavilion. It is divided into two courtyards, with Taibai Tower in the front and Taibai Temple in the back. The ground floor of the main building is built with bluestone, while the second and third floors are wooden structures. The eaves are adorned with gold trim, and the hip roof is covered with yellow glazed tiles. The simple tiles and water droplets are decorated with carvings of sea creatures and animals, giving the building an antique and elegant appearance, as well as a solemn and majestic presence.

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The main entrance of Taibai Tower has a blue background with gold inscriptions reading ‘Tang Li Gong Qinglian Temple’. On both sides of the door, there are a pair of stone lions, exquisitely carved and lively in form. Inside the door, the walls of the corridor are embedded with steles recounting the history of the Qing Dynasty’s reconstruction and the life of Li Bai. A plaque with the vigorous calligraphy of ‘Taibai Tower’ hangs under the eaves of the third floor. Climbing the wooden stairs inside the tower to the third floor and looking out the window, one can see the Yangtze River like a ribbon and white sails dotting the landscape. Behind Taibai Tower lies Taibai Temple. The temple, built in accordance with the terrain, is connected to the second floor of the front tower by a corridor.

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Open all year round from 8:30 to 17:00.

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