Climbing Yellow Crane Tower and gazing far, one still feels the scene: 'clear the sunlit river, distinct the Hanyang trees.'
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history
From 崔颢《黄鹤楼》 (Tang, early 8th c.): 昔人已乘黄鹤去，此地空余黄鹤楼……晴川历历汉阳树，芳草萋萋鹦鹉洲 (The ancient one on yellow crane has flown, only Yellow Crane Tower remains... clear the sunlit river, distinct the Hanyang trees; lush the fragrant grass of Parrot Isle). Li Bai reputedly saw the inscription and wrote 'with this poem here, I put down my brush.'
usage
Inseparable from 芳草萋萋鹦鹉洲 as the famous parallel couplet. 晴川 = sunlit river (the Yangtze). 汉阳 = the Hanyang district of modern Wuhan, across from the tower. 历历 = clear and distinct (reduplicated). Quote for any sweeping view across a river.
