The Qingchuan Pavilion stands on the Hanyang side of the Yangtze, at the foot of Tortoise Hill, directly opposite the Yellow Crane Tower. The pair of pavilions face each other across the river — one on Snake Hill in Wuchang, the other on Tortoise Hill in Hanyang — and have done since the Ming dynasty, when the original Qingchuan was built.
The pavilion takes its name from a Tang dynasty poem by Cui Hao ("The clear river flows on, lined with grass and trees of Hanyang"). The current building dates from 1986, rebuilt after the original was destroyed in the 19th century. The view from the top floor across the Yangtze to the Yellow Crane Tower is one of the best in Wuhan.