Taibai Tower, Li Bai's Old Drinking Spot on the Jining City Wall
Taibai Tower stands on a surviving stretch of the Ming city wall on the north bank of the old Grand Canal in central Jining. It commemorates the Tang poet Li Bai, who made his family home in this area for many years, and it now houses the Li Bai Memorial Hall. Entry is free. Most visitors to Jining prefecture go straight to the Confucian sites at Qufu, and the Jining guide keeps that order. Taibai Tower is the best reason to spend an hour in Jining city itself, along with the Iron Pagoda of Chongjue Temple a short ride away.
From wine house to memorial hall
Jining was called Rencheng in the Tang dynasty. According to the city culture and tourism bureau, the building began as a wine house run by a family named Helan in the Kaiyuan era, and Li Bai drank and wrote poems there. In 861, ninety-nine years after the poet's death, a traveller named Shen Guang climbed the building and wrote an essay about Li Bai's wine house. That essay is the earliest written link between the poet and the site.
When the Grand Canal was rerouted in the Yuan dynasty, the town shifted north. In 1283 the official Ji Defang had the wine house moved onto the city's south wall. In 1391 the commander Di Chong rebuilt it beside the south gate tower, at its present spot, and dropped the word wine from its name, calling it Taibai Lou after the poet's courtesy name. Many repairs followed under the Qing and the Republic, and the present building was reconstructed in 1952. The memorial hall was set up here in 1986, and the tower is a Shandong provincial protected monument.
The bureau says Li Bai lived in the Jining area for 23 years of his life, which is why Jining calls itself the poet's second home. Scholars debate the exact length and nature of his stay, and the memorial hall's exhibition takes the local view.
What you see today
The tower faces south over the canal. It is a two-storey building with double eaves and a hip-and-gable roof, seven bays wide, about 30 metres long, 13 metres deep and 15 metres high. Grey brick, grey tiles and red railings make it plain from a distance. Courtyards around it are planted with pines and cypresses.
Inside, the permanent exhibition follows Li Bai's life, with sections on his years in Jining, his friendship with Du Fu, the history of the tower and the qualities of his poetry. The bureau lists 45 historic steles in the collection. Among them are inscriptions left by Ming and Qing officials who ran the canal from Jining, such as the hydraulic engineer Pan Jixun, and two steles in the Qianlong Emperor's calligraphy. The view from the tower, called the evening view from the White Tower, was one of the eight classic scenes of old Rencheng.
Tickets and hours
Taibai Tower and the memorial hall are free. Jining Bendibao gives the hours as 9:00 to 18:00 from May to September and 9:00 to 17:30 from October to April, closed on Mondays except public holidays. In 2026 the hall closed from 22 May to 6 June for maintenance, so short closures happen. Check the day's notice before you go.
Getting there and how long to stay
The bureau gives the address as 27 Taibailou Middle Road in Rencheng District, on the north bank of the old canal in the city centre. A taxi or ride-hailing car from Jining station is the easiest approach, and parking is available nearby. Allow forty-five minutes to an hour. Pair it with the Iron Pagoda and a walk along the old canal, which runs just below the tower.
Before you go
- Avoid Mondays.
- Read a few Li Bai poems in translation first, since the exhibition assumes familiarity.
- Combine the tower with the Iron Pagoda for a half day in Jining city.
- Save Qufu's Confucius Temple and Kong Family Mansion for a full separate day.
- See the Jining travel guide for the three-day route.
Frequently asked questions
Is Taibai Tower the original Tang building?
No. The present tower was rebuilt in 1952 on a site chosen in 1391. It keeps the name and the story.
Is entry free?
Yes. The Li Bai Memorial Hall at Taibai Tower charges no admission.
How long do I need?
About an hour covers the tower, the steles and the exhibition.
Is it worth visiting if I am mainly in Jining for Qufu?
If you have a spare afternoon in Jining city or an evening train, yes. It is a short and easy stop.
Sources
Facts in this article were checked against the following sources, retrieved 17 October 2026.
- Jining Culture and Tourism Bureau, Li Bai Memorial Hall
- Jining Bendibao, Taibai Tower hours and tickets
- Jining portal, maintenance closure notice, May 2026
- Jining Taibai Tower, Chinese Wikipedia
- Jining travel guide on this site
Photos are from Wikimedia Commons under the licences shown in each caption.