Li Bai Tower (Taibai Tower)

The Taibai Tower in central Jining commemorates Li Bai's residence in the city during the 730s. The current tower is a Ming Dynasty construction on the site of an earlier pavilion, rising four stories above the canal district with views over the surrounding city. The interior contains stone carvings of Li Bai's poetry, biographical panels, and paintings illustrating scenes from his life and work.

Li Bai's time in Jining is less famous than his periods in Chang'an and the Three Gorges region, but the poems he wrote here are genuine and several are among his finest. Reading a few before visiting gives the tower more resonance. The tower is in the center of the canal heritage district and fits naturally into a walk along the waterfront.

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A story
Li Bai (701–762), the Tang Dynasty poet widely regarded as China's greatest, spent two years in Jining in the 730s. He lived well: the city was prosperous and sophisticated, and he is thought to have spent much of his time drinking with friends and writing. The tower built in his memory stands on the site of a pavilion where he is said to have composed poetry; its name translates as "Taibai" (the poet's courtesy name), and inscriptions of his Jining poems are carved on the walls.

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