An urban narrative centered on water

"It has been destroyed and rebuilt many times," Wu says.

The original structure burned down repeatedly through war and fire. The current tower, completed in 1985, was reconstructed based on Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) architectural designs.

Wu has noticed a shift in visitors' interest from simply climbing its nine stories to its legacy of poetry and culture.

"When I first started, people would rush up, take a picture of the river, and rush down," she says. "Now they ask questions. They want to know about the poems, about the history of the reconstructions, about why this tower matters."

Wu has received a rising number of parents who bring their children specifically to recite poems.

The 2023 film Chang An, which prominently features Yellow Crane Tower, sparked a fresh wave of interest, with young visitors arriving armed with couplets memorized from the screen, she explains.

The tower has also adapted to a new generation of visitors. During major holidays, performers dressed in Tang Dynasty costumes staged interactive shows that drew large crowds.

Similar efforts to turn heritage into lived experience can be found nearby in Doujiying, a renovated historical neighborhood less than 500 meters from Yellow Crane Tower.