|

Yanyu Tower was built in the Later Jin Dynasty (AD 936-946) on the banks of Nanhu Lake in 1548. After the dredging of the city river in Jiaxing, the river mud was put into the lake and then formed into an island. The following year the tower was moved to the island, and from then on, the area has been known as "small Yingzhou".

Yanyu Tower is about 20 meters tall and covers 640 square meters.

The tower is named after a poem written by famous Tang Dynasty poet Du Mu (803-852). It reads:

Of the 480 temples built by the Southern Dynasties, 
Many towers and terraces still remain erect in the misty rain (yanyu  also means misty rain in Chinese).

The building is surrounded by short walls, curved railings and long embankments. The entrance is Qinghui Hall, and the tower's stone tablet is embedded on the north wall outside. At the back of the hall and on the southeast side of the main building are the words "Yubei Pavilion" which were inscribed by Emperor Qianlong (1711-99).

On the right of the corridor is Baomei pavilion, which contains two tablets painted by Peng Yulin, a famous general of the Qing Dynasty (1368-1644).

Yanyu Tower [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]