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YellowCraneTower,locatedonSnakeHillinWuchang,isoneoftheThreeFamousTowersSouthofYangtzeRiver(theothertwo:YueyangTowerinHunanandTengwangTowerinJiangxi).Accordingtothehistory,theyellowcranetowerwasfirstbuiltin223ADduringthethree-kingdomperiod.Atthebeginning,thetowerwasoriginallyusedformilitarytoobservetheenemy’sactivity.Whenthewarfinished,thetowergraduallybecameascenicattractionwherepeoplecanappreciatetheviewofthecityaswellasthelake.Inancienttime,manyliterativisitedthisplace,andsometimesevenputdownpoemsforit.SuchasCuiHaoinTangDynasty,hewroteafamouspoemwhichwasnameYELLOCRANETOWER,andanotherfamouspoetLiBai,whosepoemsaffectedthewholedynastyinhistime,alsovisitedthisbeautifulplacemanytimes.Inthisplaceheoncesawoffhisfriend,anotherpoetMengHaoran,andwroteafamouspoemforittoshowhisemotion.Fromthenon,theyellowcranetowerwaswellknowthroughoutChina.Overthecenturiesthetowerhadbeendestroyedbywarsformanytimes,butitspopularitywithChineseensuredthatitwasalwaysrebuilt.Thecurrenttowerwascompletedin1985anditsdesignderivedfromapictureofQingdynasty.Itstands51.4metershighandhas5floors.Theappearanceofthetoweristhesameregardlessofthedirectionitisviewedfrom.Thetowerhas60upturnedeaveslayeruponlayer,coveredwithyellowglazedtilesandsupportedwith72hugepillars.Theexportscommentthatitisanauthenticreproductionofboththeexteriorandinteriordesign,withtheexceptionoftheadditionofair-conditionerandanelevator.Sinceancienttime,theyellowcranetowerhasbeenregardedasthesymbolofWuhan.Inthefirstfloor,onthewall,thereisanine-meter(about30feet)longandsix-meter(about20feet)widepaintedporcelainpicturewhichdepictsclouds,riversandcranestorepresentaromanticmoodintheheaven.Whatdoyouthinkofthepicture?Itisverybeautiful,isn’tit?DoyouknowwhywecallthetowerYELLOWCRANETOWER?Theanswerliesinthepicture.Haveyounoticedthat,inthepicturethereisaTaoistwhoplayedanfluteandrodeancraneglidingthroughthesky?Itisastoryaboutkindnessandrewarding.Longlongago,therewasawarm-heartedoldman.Hewasverypoorandranasmallwinetaverntoearnaliving.Onedayinthesummer,theweatherwasveryhotandthesunwasverystrong,aTaoistdressedintatteredclothesenteredthealehouse.Hebeggedtheshopkeeperforwine:”Excuseme,IamverythirstybutIhaven’tanymoney.Forgod’ssake,couldyougivemeabowlofwine?”“sure”theshopkeepersmiled:“justhelpyourself”andgavehimabowlofwine.Afterthat,theTaoistoftenpatronizedthetavernandenjoyedthewinewithoutpayingmoney.Oneyearlater,theTaoistwantedtorewardthepoorman.Hepickedupanorangepeelfromthegroundanddrewamagiccraneonthewall.Whenheclappedhishands,thecranecandancewiththerhythem.Manypeoplecametowatchthismiracle.Fromthenon,thetavernwasalwaysfullofguests.Duringthetenyears,theoldmangotoutoftheinvolvementofpovertyandranalargerestaurant.Tenyearslater,theTaoistrevisitedtheoldplace.WhenhemetXin,Xinthankedhim.Hesaid:itisyourkindnessthatmakesyouwealthy.Aftersayinggoodbye,theTaoistplayedthefluteandthenrodethecranetothesky.InhonoroftheyellowcraneandTaoist,theoldman,Xin,builtatowerandnamedityellowcranetower.Onthesecondfloor,andwecanappreciatevariousminiaturecopiedthestylesfromTangdynastytoQingdynasty.Now,letusenjoytheyellowcraneinTangdynasty,ithastwostories,thefirstfloorwasthegateofthewall,thesecondfloorwasusedforvisitorstoenjoytheviewofthecity.Ihaveaquestion,whichresembleswiththecurrenttowermost,payattention,please.Right,thedesignofyellowcranetowerwasfollowedaQingdynastypicture.LetushavealookatthemodelinQingdynasty.Ithas3stories,thefirstfloorhas12eaveswhichrepresent12hoursinoneday,thesecondflooralsohas12eavesanditstandsfor12monthsinayear.Thethirdfloorhas24eavesandrepresents24solarterms.OnthethreeflooryoucanlearnsomethingaboutChineseancientculture----poem.MaybeyoucantrytolearnChinesefrompoemandshowthepoemtoyourfamilymembersbackhome.SuchasYELLOWCRANETOWER,anditisverysimple.HereistheEnglishversiontranslatedbyafamoustranslatorXuYuanchong.Thispoemisverybeautiful,andIwannasharewithyou.Thestageonyellowcranewasgoneamidcloudswhite.TowhatavailisYellowCraneTowerlefthere?Oncegone,theyellowcranewillnotonearthalight;Onlywhitecloudsstillfloatinvainfromyeartoyear.Bysunlitrivertreescanbecountedonebyone;OnParrotIsletsweetgreengrassfastandthick.Whereismynativelandbeyondthesettingsun?Themist-veiledwavesofRiverHanmakesmehomesick.IfyouwanttoenjoytheChangjiangriverandtheviewofWuhan,thegoodchoiceistogotothefifthfloor.