Yueyang Tower, standing on the city wall of the West Gate of Yueyang City by the Dongting Lake in the north of Hunan Province, is one of the three famous towers in the region south of the Yangtze River. It has long enjoyed the reputation of being the "first tower under heaven," as the Dongting Lake is known as the "first water under heaven."

It is said that it was used as a parade tower by Lu Su, a general of the State of Wu during the Three Kingdoms Period. It became more famous when the essay "On Yueyang Tower" was written by Fan Zhongyan in the fifth year (1045) of the Qingli reign period of the Northern Song Dynasty.

The timber-structured three-storied main building with a double-eaved roof is surrounded by a veranda on which is a carved bench of impressive workmanship.

| Chinese Culture |