Legends of Yellow Crane Tower

National ICH · Batch 3
Origin

The Yellow Crane Tower legends are a body of folk stories handed down around the tower on Wuchang's Snake Hill, the most famous telling of an immortal riding off on a crane and of a painted crane in the Xin family's wine shop, carrying the city's memory of its great tower.

The art form

The legends pass down through oral telling, poetry and the storytelling of guides at the tower, intertwined with the verses of celebrated poets such as Cui Hao and Li Bai.

Cultural significance

Binding tower, immortals and poetry into one, the legends underpin Wuhan's local culture and the tower's standing among the "three great towers south of the Yangtze."

Where to experience

The legends center on Yellow Crane Tower atop Snake Hill in Wuchang, where visitors can feel their atmosphere as they climb.

Related
Heritage Site:Yellow Crane Tower