Tengwang Pavilion

滕王阁

One of the Three Great Towers of Jiangnan. It became world-famous through Wang Bo’s Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng. From the top you can look out over both banks of the Gan River.

Tengwang Pavilion was first built in 653 during the Tang dynasty. It was commissioned by Li Yuanying, Prince Teng and a son of Emperor Gaozu. It is ranked with the Yellow Crane Tower and the Yueyang Tower as one of the Three Great Towers of Jiangnan. It has been destroyed and rebuilt 29 times throughout history. The present building was reconstructed in 1989 based on Song-style sketches drawn by Liang Sicheng. The main tower is 57.5 m tall and has ten levels in total: three visible from outside and seven concealed inside. Its green-tiled roofs and vermilion pillars are striking. Inside, each floor displays stone inscriptions of the Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng, calligraphy and paintings by famous figures through the ages, scheduled Tang-style dance performances and porcelain paintings. From the top-floor gallery you can see the Gan River and the Honggutan skyline. Tickets cost about 50 yuan, with night entry charged separately, and prices are set by the official site. A visit takes about 1.5–2 hours. The best time is to enter in the evening, so you can see the lights come on after sunset. Line 1 metro to Tengwang Pavilion station is a short walk away. Crowds are heavy on public holidays, so buy tickets in advance through the official mini program.

Opening hours

Approx. 08:00–18:30 (summer night tours extend to about 22:00; check official announcements)

Jiangnan's three towers · Classical poetry · Night views · National 5A sites

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