Pavilion of Prince Teng, Ancient pavilion in Donghu District, China

The Pavilion of Prince Teng stands on the east bank of the Gan River on a 12-metre stone platform. Its nine storeys, built in reinforced concrete, follow Song-dynasty wooden forms: dark red walls and columns, green and white painted brackets beneath stacked roofs with upturned corners. A pale stone staircase with a balustrade climbs to a landing where plaques read 滕王阁 and 阁王滕; a lower sign quotes 落霞与孤鹜齐飞秋水共长天一色.

Li Yuanying, brother of Emperor Taizong, erected the original building in the year 653 during his time as governor of Nanchang. The structure was repeatedly destroyed by wars and fires over the centuries and rebuilt on the same spot.

The name comes from Li Yuanying, enfeoffed as Prince Teng in 639, who built the pavilion as his townhouse. Wang Bo's prose piece 'Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng,' written at a 675 gathering, made the building famous. A lower plaque at the entrance displays the couplet 'Falling sunset and lone goose flying together; a single hue, autumn water and the long stretch of sky.'

The pavilion has nine floors; the main structure uses the Song "three bright, seven hidden" layout, with open galleries on the bright levels overlooking the Gan River. To reach it by public transport, get off at Wanshougong station rather than Tengwangge station, as it is a shorter walk. The surrounding Rongmen Road is lined with antique and stationery shops.

The current reconstruction follows the plans of Liang Sicheng, one of the most influential architects of China in the 20th century. His designs were based on studies of historical paintings and texts, as no original drawings existed anymore.