Fodor's Expert Review Yellow Crane Tower

What you see today dates from just 1981, a recreation, only semi-faithful, to the original built in AD 223 about 1 km away. Over its long history, Yellow Crane Tower was destroyed and rebuilt some half-dozen times. In the mid 1880s the tower fell to a blaze and was not rebuilt until a century later. Today, the five-storey tower stands 51.4 meters (168 feet), and legend has it that the roof is composed of nearly 100,000 yellow glazed tiles. Climb to the top and, on a clear day, you'll be rewarded with a panoramic view of the city and the Yangtze River. Avoid this like the plague during public holidays, especially Chinese National Day (Oct. 1-3), when it's a sea of people.