Yellow Crane Tower

An epic portrait of life in Jiangcheng spanning forty-two years, and a modern-day Along the River During the Qingming Festival, dedicated to Wuhan.

Set against the sweep of history from 1984 to 2026, with the Yellow Crane Tower and the Yangtze River as timeless landmarks, this novel eschews a single protagonist, melodramatic entanglements, and fictionalized settings. Through a grounded ensemble cast, it chronicles a city’s cycles of renewal and the ups and downs of ordinary people across generations.

From the lingering ration coupons and modest warmth of close-knit neighbors in the 1980s, to the wild growth of the market economy in the 1990s, when layoffs and bold new ventures went hand in hand; from the upheaval of old neighborhoods being demolished and streets disappearing in the new century, to the settled rhythms of a new city taking shape and new life filling its streets in the modern era.

Old houses, narrow lanes, craftspeople, fellow workers, drifters, and young people who put down roots far from home take turns appearing. Amid the city’s earth-shaking transformation, they experience farewells and reunions, perseverance and breakthroughs, loss and acceptance. Towers are rebuilt time and again, the river flows day and night, and human lives change with every passing year.

There are no grand, stirring legends in this book. It portrays only the texture of an era and the warmth and hardships of ordinary lives. With a gentle yet profound touch, it preserves the memories of a city, the years of a generation, and the ever-burning bustle of Jiangcheng.