Stork Tower top floor

The top floor of Stork Tower, in Puzhou Town, Yongji, Yuncheng, Shanxi, China, offers a wide view west across the Yellow River flood plain toward Shaanxi province. This outlook is the scene behind Wang Zhihuan's celebrated Tang-dynasty poem Climbing Stork Tower, which describes the setting sun sinking behind the mountains and the river flowing to the sea, and ends with the advice to climb another storey for a longer view. The tower is a Tang-style reconstruction about 73 metres high, and the upper floor is reached by interior stairs past exhibits on the poem and local history. From the open balcony or windows, visitors see the river plain, scattered villages and fields, and, in clear weather, the distant hills on the far bank. The best time is late afternoon toward sunset, when low light turns the plain amber and the river reflects the sky. Visitors typically spend 15 to 30 minutes at the top, though photographers wait longer for the light. Because the floor area is limited, it can be crowded around sunset on holidays and weekends, and weekdays are calmer. Haze and dust can reduce visibility, so clear days after rain give the best views. The climb is part of the standard tower ticket, so no separate charge applies. Visitors can read the poem before climbing to connect the scenery to the verse, and many take photographs with the river horizon behind the carved railings. Wind can be strong at height, so a light jacket is useful outside summer.