天下江山第一樓

劉中興Liu Zhongxing

在秀山起伏、湖波蕩漾的美麗江城武漢，有一座如詩如畫的千年古樓，她就是高居蛇山之巔的黃鶴樓。千百年來，白云環(huán)繞其上，萬里長江從她的腳下東流而去。黃鶴樓閱千載白云，看一江奔流，享有“天下絕景”的盛譽(yù)，被稱為“天下江山第一樓”。黃鶴樓與岳陽樓、滕王閣并稱“江南三大名樓”。

In the enchanting city of Wuhan， a city renowned for its rolling hills andserene lakes， there stands a picturesque ancient tower that has graced thelandscape for thousands of years. This magnificent structure is the Yellow CraneTower， which majestically perching atop Snake Hill. Over the course of centuries，it has been encompassed by ethereal white clouds， while at its base the mightyYangtze River gracefully meanders eastward. The Yellow Crane Tower boaststhe esteemed title of the “Paramount Tower that Commands Mountains andRivers” and is revered alongside Yueyang Tower and the Pavilion of Prince Tengas the “Three Famous Towers of the South，” signifying the apex of architecturalbrilliance.

相傳在中國古代，有一位姓辛的婦人在武漢的蛇山上開了一家酒樓。有一天，一位衣衫襤褸的老道蹣跚而來，向她討酒喝。辛氏忠厚善良，任由老道免費(fèi)喝了一年的酒。老道為表達(dá)謝意，撿起桌上的橘子皮，隨手在墻上畫了一只栩栩如生的黃鶴，并說：“ 以后有客人來喝酒，你拍手相招，這只黃鶴便會一躍而下，只要按音律拍手，它就會跳舞?！闭f完便消失不見了。辛氏將信將疑，雙手一拍，黃鶴果然一躍而下，和著音律翩翩起舞，酒家因此生意興隆。

Legend has it that， a long long time ago， there was a woman named Xinwho opened a restaurant on Snake Hill. One day， an old Taoist monk wholooked worn-out stumbled upon her establishment and asked for somewine. Xin， being a kind-hearted woman， allowed him to drink for free foran entire year. To express his gratitude， the old Taoist monk casually pickedup a tangerine peel from the table and drew a lifelike yellow crane on thewall. He said， “Whenever guests come for a drink， just clap your hands andthis yellow crane will leap down， and if you follow the rhythm， it will danceaccordingly.” After saying this， the old Taoist monk disappeared. Xin wasskeptical but decided to give it try. She clapped her hands， and to her surprise，the yellow crane leaped down from the wall and danced gracefully in sync withthe rhythm. Soon， her restaurant flourished.

十年后，老道忽然再次出現(xiàn)，問辛氏：“ 這十年來，黃鶴賺的錢夠不夠還當(dāng)年欠下的酒債呢？”辛氏忙回道：“ 夠！夠！”于是，老道取下隨身攜帶的鐵笛，對著墻上的黃鶴吹了一首奇妙的曲子，黃鶴聞聲而下，起舞一番后，便馱著老道飛走了。辛氏為表感恩，在蛇山上修了一座樓閣紀(jì)念這位老道，并取名“黃鶴樓”。

Ten years later， the old Taoist monk suddenly reappeared and asked Xin，“Have the earnings from the yellow crane been enough to repay my winedebt from all those years ago？” Xin quickly replied， “Yes， more thanenough！” Upon hearing that， the old Taoist monk took out a flutethat he always carried with and played a beautiful tune towards theyellow crane on the wall. The yellow crane descended， danced fora while， and then carried the old Taoist monk away. To showher gratitude， Xin built a tower on Snake Hill and named itthe Yellow Crane Tower.

但在歷史上，黃鶴樓的出現(xiàn)并非如此浪漫。三國時期東吳黃武二年（公元223年），出于軍事目的，孫權(quán)在蛇山建樓作為軍事瞭望所。晉滅東吳以后，三國歸于一統(tǒng)，該樓就失去了軍事價值，到了唐朝已成為一處名勝古跡。之后幾經(jīng)戰(zhàn)火，黃鶴樓屢廢屢建，最后一次被毀是在清光緒十年（公元1884年），此后近百年未曾重修。

However， the actual historical originof the Yellow Crane Tower is not asromantic as the legend suggests. Duringthe Three Kingdoms Period in the secondyear （223 AD） of the Huangwus reign， SunQuan， founder of Eastern Wu Kingdom，decided to build a tower on Snake Hill formilitary purposes. After the Jin Dynastyconquered Eastern Wu and unified thethree kingdoms， the tower lost its militarysignificance and became known as ahistorical site during the Tang Dynasty.Throughout the years， the Yellow CraneTower was destroyed and rebuilt multipletimes. After its destruction in the 10thyear （1884 AD） of the Guangxus reign， the tower remainedunrepaired for nearly a century.

1981年10月，黃鶴樓重修工程動工；1985年6月落成。新樓采用現(xiàn)代建筑技術(shù)施工，鋼筋混凝土框架仿木結(jié)構(gòu)。黃鶴樓外觀五層，內(nèi)部實(shí)際有九層，隱含“九五至尊”之意。飛檐五層，攢尖樓頂，金色琉璃瓦屋面；通高51.4米，底層邊寬30米，頂層邊寬18米；72根圓柱拔地而起，雄渾穩(wěn)健；60個翹角凌空舒展，恰似黃鶴騰飛；樓的屋面用10 萬多塊黃色琉璃瓦覆蓋，輝煌壯麗。

In October 1981， the reconstruction of the Yellow CraneTower commenced and was completed in June 1985. The newtower was constructed using modern architectural techniques，featuring a reinforced concrete frame that imitates woodenstructures. Externally， the Yellow Crane Tower consists of fivefloors， while internally it boasts nine， symbolizing its esteemedstatus.1 It features upturned eaves， a pointed roof， and goldenglazed tiles. Standing at a height of 51.4 meters， it has a basewidth of 30 meters and a top width of 18 meters. The tower issupported by 72 pillars， all strong and stable， and 60 upturnedcorners that resemble majestic yellow cranes in flight. The roofis adorned with over 100，000 yellow glazed tiles， presenting amagnificent and splendid spectacle.

登樓遠(yuǎn)眺，“極目楚天舒”，“不盡長江滾滾來”，一座座長江大橋就像一道道彩虹連接兩岸，江面上貨輪、客輪穿梭往來。三鎮(zhèn)沿江處，一幢幢高樓拔地而起，夜晚燈火輝映，流光溢彩，觸目皆風(fēng)景，四季各不同。

From the pinnacle of the tower， one can relish the panoramic view of the Chu region （now commonlyknown as Hunan Province）， a view once impressed Chinese celebrities from the Tang poet Du Fu， who wrote“The boundless forest sheds its leaves shower by shower./The endless river rolls its waves hour by hour” in hispoem “On the Height，”1 to the former PRC Chairman Mao Zedong， who wrote “And as far as can reach theeye，/I find the wide， wide Southern sky” in his “Swimming” to the classical Chinese tune called “Prelude tothe Melody of Water.”2 The bridges spanning the Yangtze River resemble kaleidoscopic rainbows connectingthe two banks. Underneath the bridges are the traversing cargo and passenger ships. Along the riverbanks，towering buildings illuminate the night sky with their resplendent lights， creating awe-inspiring scenery thattransforms with each season.

黃鶴樓是古典與現(xiàn)代融合、詩與美構(gòu)筑的精品。她處在山川靈氣的交匯點(diǎn)，正好迎合中華民族喜好登高的民風(fēng)民俗、親近自然的空間意識和崇尚宇宙的哲學(xué)觀念。除了地利之便與建筑之美，黃鶴樓更因其豐富的人文意蘊(yùn)和審美價值而聞名于世。歷代文人墨客只要到武漢，必登黃鶴樓，并留下大量絕妙的詩文。其中，唐代詩人崔顥的詩作《黃鶴樓》流傳最廣，被譽(yù)為“唐人七律的壓卷之作”：“ 昔人已乘黃鶴去，此地空余黃鶴樓。黃鶴一去不復(fù)返，白云千載空悠悠。”相傳，李白登上黃鶴樓后，看江水一色浩浩湯湯，頓時詩興大發(fā)，正準(zhǔn)備題詩之時，卻看到了崔顥的《黃鶴樓》。斟詞酌句推敲下來，李白忍不住拍案叫絕，他覺得這首詩寫得實(shí)在太好了，將自己想要表達(dá)的情感都說完了，忍不住又懊惱又惆悵：“ 一拳搗碎黃鶴樓，一腳踢翻鸚鵡洲。眼前有景道不得，崔顥題詩在上頭?！弊詈螅荒軣o奈擱筆離去。自那以后，他又?jǐn)?shù)次登上黃鶴樓，終于留下千古絕句《黃鶴樓送孟浩然之廣陵》：“ 故人西辭黃鶴樓，煙花三月下?lián)P州。孤帆遠(yuǎn)影碧空盡，唯見長江天際流?！边€有《與史郎中欽聽黃鶴樓上吹笛》：“ 一為遷客去長沙，西望長安不見家。黃鶴樓中吹玉笛，江城五月落梅花?！边@也是武漢被稱為“江城”的來歷。

The Yellow Crane Tower is a masterpiece that combines classical and modern elements， having its uniquepoetic and architectural charms. It is situated at an area where mountains meet rivers， a place frequented bythe Chinese people who have a tradition of mountain climbing， a fondness for nature， and a philosophicalawareness of the work of the universe. Apart from its advantageous location and architectural beauty， theYellow Crane Tower is renowned for its rich cultural and aesthetic value. Throughout history， literati and poetswho climbed the Yellow Crane Tower when visiting Wuhan left behind a treasure trove of exquisite poemsand writings about this architectural wonder. Among them， the poem “Yellow Crane Tower” by the Tang poetCui Hao is the most widely circulated and acclaimed， a masterpiece of seven-character Tang poetry：

Yellow Crane Tower Cui Hao

The sage on yellow crane was gone amid clouds white.

To what avail is Yellow Crane Tower left here？

Once gone， the yellow crane will never on earth alight;Only white clouds still float in vain from year to year.1

Legend has it that the most celebrated Tang poet Li Bai， who ascended the tower and became bursting with poetic fervor at the sight of the vast expanse of the Yangtze River， could not help marveling when he read Cuis poem， to which he responded：

Ascending the Yellow Crane Tower with Friends and Seeing Cui Haos Inscribed Poem

Li Bai

In one blow， I smash the Yellow Crane Tower，With one kick， I overturn Parrot Island.

Before my eyes， a breathtaking view unfolds，Yet words fail to capture what my heart beholds.

Above， Cui Haos poem， elegantly inscribed，Resides， as if in glory， on this towers stride.2

Li felt that Cuis poem was incredibly wellwrittenand that it had already expressed all theemotions he himself wanted to convey. Feelingregretful and melancholic， Li put down his brush andleft. Since then， he climbed the Yellow Crane Towerseveral times and finally left behind the followingtimeless quatrains：

Seeing Meng Haoran off at Yellow Crane TowerLi Bai

My friend has left the west where the Yellow Crane TowerFor River Town veiled in green willows and red flowers.His lessening sail is lost in the boundless blue sky，Where I see but the endless River rolling by.3

On Hearing the Flute in Yellow Crane Tower

Li Bai

Since I was banished to the riverside town，Looking westwards， Ive found no house Id call my town.Hearing in Yellow Crane Tower the flutes sad tune，I seem to see mume blossoms fall in the fifth moon.4

The last poem also explains the origin of Wuhan being called the “Riverside Town.”

公元1134年，宋代抗金名將岳飛駐守鄂州（今武昌）。他登上黃鶴樓，想到南方寇患雖平，但中原大地仍在敵人鐵騎蹂躪之下，心潮起伏間揮筆寫下《滿江紅 ·登黃鶴樓有感》。公元1136年，岳飛再次登上黃鶴樓，堅(jiān)定北伐收復(fù)中原之志，寫下《滿江紅 · 怒發(fā)沖冠憑欄處》，慷慨激昂，直抒胸臆，其深沉的愛國情感，至今仍震撼人心。時至今日，武昌黃鶴樓的岳飛廣場東側(cè)立有一尊岳飛銅像，栩栩如生地刻畫了他扶鞍勒馬、不忍舉首北望破碎山河的悲憤神態(tài)，一旁還矗立一方岳飛手跡“還我河山”石刻，銅像背后，一塊長達(dá)25.6米的青石浮雕再現(xiàn)了當(dāng)年岳家軍馳騁沙場、英勇殺敵的場景。

In the 11th century， the renowned Song Dynastygeneral Yue Fei was stationed in Ezhou （now the cityof Wuchang）. He ascended the Yellow Crane Towerand wrote “On Mounting Yellow Crane Tower”5 to thetune of “The River All Red” with the inspiration thatalthough the northern enemies had been subdued，the Central Plains were still under their control. In1136， Yue Fei climbed the Yellow Crane Tower onceagain， determined to launch a Northern Expeditionand reclaim the Central Plains. He wrote “Wraths setson end my hair， I lean on railings”6 to the same tune，which expressed his indignation and patriotism. Hispoems continue to resonate with people today. Today，there is a bronze statue of Yue Fei on the east side of the Yue Fei Palaza of the Yellow Crane Tower Park vividlydepicting his sorrowful expression as he holds the reins of his horse and looks all solemn northward. Next tothe statue is a stone carving of Yue Feis handwriting saying “Restore My Rivers and Mountains.” Behind thebronze statue， a 25.6-meter-long relief made of green stone reproduces the scenes of the Yues Army chargingon the battlefield and bravely fighting their enemy.

此外，陸游、蘇軾等詩詞名家也曾吟詠黃鶴樓。1927 年2月，一代偉人毛澤東登上黃鶴樓，滿腔熱血，激情澎湃，執(zhí)著地探尋中國的前進(jìn)道路，寫下名篇《菩薩蠻 · 黃鶴樓》：“ 茫茫九派流中國，沉沉一線穿南北。煙雨莽蒼蒼，龜蛇鎖大江。黃鶴知何去？剩有游人處。把酒酹滔滔，心潮逐浪高?！?/p>

Not only Yue Fei， but also renowned poets like Lu You and Su Shihave composed poems about the Yellow Crane Tower. In February1927， the former PRC Chairman Mao Zedong， who was then exploringthe path of Chinas progress， climbed the tower， fueled with passionand determination. He wrote the famous poem “Yellow Crane Tower”to the tune of “Buddhist Dancers”：

Yellow Crane Tower

Mao Zedong

Wide， wide through the land flow nine streams full to the brim;

Long， long from south to north threads one line deep and dim.

Shrouded in grizzling mist and drizzling rain.

Tortoise and snake hold the River in chain.

Where is the yellow crane in flight，

Leaving for visitors a site？

I pledge with wine the endless flood;

With rolling waves upsurges my blood.1

在這些千古名篇的加持下，黃鶴樓名聲大振。今天，再登黃鶴樓，吟誦這些詩詞，仔細(xì)感受時間與空間、長天與大江、人文與地理、歷史與現(xiàn)實(shí)的交融，一定能體會到銘刻在黃鶴樓記憶之中的詩詞之美。

The name of the Yellow Crane Tower travelled with these timelesspoems. When you ascend the tower today and recite these poems， youcan deeply sense the fusion of time and space， the convergence of skyand river， the integration of culture and geography， and the interweavingof history and reality. Undoubtedly， you will be able to experience thebeautiful memories of the Yellow Crane Tower infused into these verses.

因武而建，以文而興，黃鶴樓所蘊(yùn)含的文化、歷史和藝術(shù)價值，讓她成為一個獨(dú)特的文化地標(biāo)。這種能夠超越時間和空間的持續(xù)生命力，讓人們更加感受到黃鶴樓的不朽魅力。

The Yellow Crane Tower， a stronghold fortified by the alchemyof literature， breathes the essence of culture， history， and artistry， andhas become a unique cultural landmark. Its timeless vitality will defytemporal and physical boundaries， and continue inviting seekers torevel in its immortal charisma.