The existing tower was rebuilt in 1981 and opened to the public in June, 1985. It is a symbol of the Wuhan City, often mentioned together with white clouds. According to records, the tower was first built in 223 A.D during the Long Brilliance period (220-280). After completion, the tower served as a gathering place for celebrities and poets to party and compose poetry. It was estimated that up to the Tongzhi Reign of the Qing dynasty, as many as 300 poems about the tower had been found in historical literature. Cui Hao, a famous poet during the Tang dynasty (618-907), made the tower well known throughout China with his poem "Yellow Crane Tower".

It was first built in 223 AD, a Since ancient times, it has retained its fame being the "first tower in China". The legend has it that the owner of a wine shop used to give free wine to an old man who drew a picture of a yellow crane on the wall in gratitude. After the old man left, the crane came to life and danced for the customers, and the owner became rich. When the old man returned decades later, he mounted the crane and flew off into the sky.

Lying on Mt. Snake in Wuchang in the southern bank of the Yangtze River, near the Southern end of the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge? the Yellow Crane Tower is one of the three most famous towers along the Yangtze River. It was first built in 223 A. D. during the Long Brilliance periods and carries a history of 1700 years. It used to be a gathering place for celebrities and poets to drink and compose. There were around 300 poems about the tower handed down through the history.

Legend has it that in Wuchang, there used to be a wine shop opened by a young man named Xin. One day, a Taoist priest, in gratitude for free wine, drew a magic crane on the wall of the shop and instructed it to dance whenever it heard clapping. Thousands of people came to see the spectacle and the wine shop was always full of guests. After 10 years, the Taoist priest revisited the wine shop. He played the flute and then rode on the crane to the sky. In memory of the supernatural encounter and the priest, the Xins built a tower and named it Yellow Crane Tower.

Destroyed many times in successive dynasties, the tower was rebuilt time and again until 100 years ago when it was, for the last time, reduced to ashes. The present tower is a complete reconstruction and is the result of four years of work beginning in 1981. Where the old tower was only 15 meters wide, the ground floor of the new structure was increased to 20 meters wide. The tower, 51.4 meters high, is five-storied with yellow tiles and red pillars, overlapping ridges and interlocking eaves, more magnificent than the old one.