Perched on the east shore of the Gan River, in the northwest of Nanchang, the time-honored capital city of Jiangxi Province, Tengwang Pavilion is the thing every resident is in proud of.
Tengwang Pavilion is one of the Three Great Pavilions in South China amongst Wuhan’s Huanghe Tower in Hubei Province and Yueyang Pavilion in Hunan Province. The building has undergone many damages and reconstructions during its over 1, 300 year long history. The pavilion we can see today was rebuilt and extended in 1980s on its original site.
It was originally constructed in AD 653 for Li Yuanying, the younger brother of Emperor Taizong in Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907). Li Yuanying was knighted as “Teng Wang” (Prince Teng) to rule Nanchang where the pavilion served as his mansion house. Therefore the pavilion was named after him.
The fame of Tengwang Pavilion rose to a great extent out of "Ode to Tengwang Pavilion", an outstanding poem written by Wang Bo, a legendary poet in Chinese history, after he was invited to a grand banquet there by Prince Teng. The prose made Tengwang Pavilion a household name in at that time and numerous writers, poets, painters and calligraphers have visited the tower ever since the poem known by people. And also thanks to the immortal ode, ever since that, the building has always been a place where learned men gathered to write articles and hold banquets, which made it much prominent to culture.
Occupying an area of 47km², standing 57.5m tall, the pagoda has nine storeys — three that could be seen from the naked eyes while four hidden inside and two below the ground. The tower is connected by a zigzag bridge and is circled by lakes and gardens. There are also two smaller pagodas standing on two sides of the main tower. Although the pavilion has been rebuilt many times throughout its 1300-year history, it still keeps its charm and magnificence. Moreover, great collections of musical instruments, religious ornaments and series bells will lead tourists to that glamorous time where true Tang atmosphere embraces every visitor.
Location: NO.58, Fanggujie Street, Donghu District, Nanchang City
Administration fee: ￥50
Opening time:
May 1 – Oct 7: 07:30 – 18:00
Oct 8 – Apr 30: 08:00 – 17:30
Telephone: 0791-86702036
Website: http://www.cntwg.com
How to go: Take bus NO.2, 7, 26, 302 and get off at Tengwang Ge station.