Tengwang Pavilion is located on Yanjiang Road, Donghu District, Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province. Situated on the east bank of the Gan River at the confluence of the Gan River and the old course of the Fu River, it is a landmark building of Nanchang and a symbol of the ancient civilization of Yuzhang. First built in the fourth year of Yonghui of the Tang Dynasty (653), it was constructed by Li Yuanying, Prince of Teng and younger brother of Emperor Taizong Li Shimin, when he served as commander of Jiangnan Hongzhou. The existing structure is a reconstruction completed in 1985. It is renowned worldwide for the "Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng" written by the early Tang poet Wang Bo. Together with Yueyang Tower in Yueyang, Hunan, and Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan, Hubei, it is known as one of the "Three Great Towers of Jiangnan." It is one of the four great ancient towers of China and one of the "Top Ten Historical and Cultural Towers of China," and is known as "the First Tower of Xijiang."
The current Tengwang Pavilion is in the style of Song Dynasty architecture. In 1942, the master of ancient architecture Liang Sicheng, together with his disciple Mo Zongjiang, drew eight "Sketches for the Plan to Rebuild Tengwang Pavilion" based on old Song paintings in the collection of "Tianlai Pavilion." At the time of its 29th reconstruction, architects used these as a basis and, referring to Li Mingzhong's "Yingzao Fashi" of the Song Dynasty, designed this majestic imitation-Song-style tower. The main structure is 57.5 meters high with a floor area of 13,000 square meters. Its lower part is a 12-meter-high platform symbolizing the ancient city wall, divided into two tiers. The main pavilion above the platform follows the "three visible, seven hidden" format—a three-story building with surrounding corridors, containing seven interior levels in total: three visible levels, three hidden levels, and a garret. The ridge ornaments (chiwen) are specially made in imitation Song style and stand 3.5 meters high.
In 2004, the Tengwang Pavilion Scenic Area in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, which includes Tengwang Pavilion, was approved by the State Council for inclusion in the fifth batch of National Key Scenic Areas. On October 29, 2018, the Tengwang Pavilion Scenic Area in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, which includes Tengwang Pavilion, was officially approved by the National Tourist Attraction Quality Grade Evaluation Committee as a National AAAAA-level Tourist Attraction.
As of February 14, 2025, more than 130,000 people had successfully met the challenge in the Tengwang Pavilion Scenic Area's "Recite the 'Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng' for free admission" activity, confirming the unlimited possibilities of "tourism culture." Tengwang Pavilion is no longer merely an architectural symbol but has evolved into a participatory, tangible "living cultural field."