Yún Yǔ Lóu was originally built in the Ming Dynasty and is located on the shores of Nanhu Lake in Jiaxing. It is a perfect blend of Jiangnan garden architecture and natural mountains and rivers. The building has soaring eaves and intricate carvings, with blue-tiled roofs and white walls creating a misty, poetic atmosphere. Climbing to the tower, you can fully appreciate the vastness of Nanhu Lake and the interplay of lake and mountain scenery with the tower’s soaring eaves, resembling a flowing ink wash painting. Before the tower, a nine-turn bridge leads to a lotus pond, where carp swim and artificial hills are covered in lush greenery, creating winding paths that lead to secluded areas, echoing the sentiment of “In the secluded places of winding paths, the Zen room is filled with deep flowers and trees.” Inside the tower, there are over 200 historical stone tablets, with the most valuable one is the plaque “Yún Yǔ Lóu” written by Qing Dynasty calligrapher Hé Shàojí. The “Yuānngāng Tíng” beside the tower was once a gathering place for scholars and literati, and Qing Dynasty poet Lì Yuē left the praise “Yún Yǔ Lóu Tái, Jiangnan Dì Yī” here. Nanhu Lake has witnessed the patriotic actions of Wén Tiānxiāng during the War of the Jehol, and the stone tablet “Wén Tiānxiāng Xiě Zhōu Chù” still exists before the tower, telling the story of the glorious chapter of national spirit. The “Yún Yǔ Jiāngnán” scenery created by the tower and the lake, allows every visitor to feel the “Shān Guāng Yuè Niǎo Xìng, Tán Yǐng Kōng Rén Xīn” Zen and poetry.
