Aiwan Pavilion, one of the four most prestigious pavilions with ancient style in China, was first built in the Qing Dynasty (in 1792) with its original name ‘Hongye Pavilion’ or ‘Aiye Pavilion’. Later, due to the great lines in the poem Strolling in the Mountain written by Du Mu (a poet of Tang Dynasty), it got its present name ‘Aiwan Pavilion’. It is painted red inside and square in form with gilt columns, double eaves on top and four slopes. Its four corners stretch away upward, covered with greenish glazed tiles. It was ruined in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and restored in 1952 when Chairman Mao Zedong inscribed its name ‘Ai Wan Ting’ (Aiwan Pavilion).
Aiwan Pavilion is not only a famous scenic spot, but also an important site of treasured memories of the revolutionaries like Mao Zedong, Cai Hesen, and Luo Xuezan, who often gathered in Aiwan Pavilion discussing the national issues and striving for the bright future of China from 1913 to 1918.
