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Loving Dusk Pavilion

Loving Dusk Pavilion

Write: Miguel [2011-05-23]

The Loving Dusk Pavilion in Changsha, Hunan Province

The Loving Dusk Pavilion (Aiwan ting), at the Qingfeng Gorge in the east of the park, was built in 1792. Originally it was called Red Leaf Pavilion (Hong ye ting) and is also known as Loving the Maple Pavilion (Aifeng ting). This building, a pleasant Qing Dynasty structure with sharply flying eaves, was a favourite of the young Mao Zedong and a spot where he is said to have written a poem in the 1920s.

The park itself is a fairly pleasant walk, and it is possible to get away from the crowds. From the summit it is possible to get a view of the city, over the river and the Island of Oranges (Juzi zhou) that was once a favourite with the Europeans who settled here in the early 1900s. There is a pavilion at the top, the Yunlu Palace (Yunlu gong) that dates back to 1863. The area is also known for the tombs that were situated here, including the Huangxin Tomb, the Cai'e Tomb, the Chentianhua Tomb and the Gaodafong Tomb, that are all commemorated.