Pavilion of Prince Teng is on the east bank of Ganjiang River, on Yanjiang Road, in the northwest of Nanchang, Jiangxi. Erected in the fourth year of Yonghui Reign (653) in the Tang Dynasty, the Pavilion was a singing and dancing hall for the Chinese royals in the ancient times and the only imperial building to the south of the Yangtze River. Li Yuanying, aka Prince Teng, brother of Li Shimin, Emperor Taizong of Tang, built the Pavilion when he was commander in Hongzhou. In A Tribute to Pavilion of Prince Teng, Wang Bo, a poet in the early Tang Dynasty, wrote, "The rainbow clouds with lonely bird together fly; The autumn water blends with the endless blue sky.“ The beautiful poem made Pavilion of Prince Teng glorious in history and for future generations. Thus, among the three most famous towers, it was the first to gain fame and is dubbed the top of the three well-known towers to the south of the Yangtze River.
In Narration for the Rebuilding of Pavilion of Prince Teng, Han Yu, a prestigious writer, extolled, "When I was little, I heard that to the south of the Yangtze River, there were many places where one could ascend high and enjoy the view from above. Among these places, Pavilion of Prince Teng is the best, well-known for its beauty, majesty, excellence, and uniqueness." Thus, Pavilion of Prince Teng is also said to be the most magnificent tower to the west of the Yangtze River.
In 2021, Pavilion of Prince Teng was upgraded to a 5A scenic spot from a 4A one, requiring the improvement and expansion of the lighting project. The government of Nanchang once again began transforming the lighting of Pavilion of Prince Teng. The project was on the south side of the main scenic spot of Pavilion of the Prince Teng in Donghu District, Nanchang. It extended to Xinzhou Road on the east side, to Zhongshanxi Road on the south, to Ganjiang Scenery Belt on the west, and to the tourist center in the south of the main scenic spot of the Pavilion of Prince Teng on the north.
StrongLED Grand Canyon took part in the nightscape lighting project along the banks of the Ganjiang River in 2015, and is experienced in the lighting of ancient buildings; so this time, StrongLED supplied the lighting products again for the transformation project of the Pavilion of Prince Teng. The supplied lighting products included floodlight AP5D, wall washer LK-2Q-A, and linear lights CV4E and CX2A.
Unlike traditional architectural lighting, the lighting of ancient structures has complex requirements. Under the main body of the Pavilion of Prince Teng is a double-layered, 12-meter-tall base symbolizing the old city wall. A Passages with green tiles runs from the south end to the north of the tall platform on the first layer. On the north end of the passage stands the four-cornered, double-layered Yicui Pavilion while on the south end, the four-cornered, double-layered Yajiang Pavilion. Above is the second layer of the base symbolizing the city wall. The two layers of the base have 89 steps. The walls and terrace of the double-layered base are made of granite from Xiajiang River in Jiangxi. The base has granite rails in the Song Dynasty style. The simplicity and solemnity of the rails contrast sharply with the pavilion's magnificence. Thus, when designing and applying the lighting system, besides accentuating the lighting of the main structure, we also needed to enhance the lighting of the key spots and adornments. The lighting system must conform to the characteristics of the building and present its levels vividly while having distinct functional lighting zones.
With the improved lighting system, the Pavilion of Prince Teng was like an elegant painting. The radiance of the lights of the main pavilion and its affiliated buildings mingle with each other, presenting the charm of the Tang Dynasty and the Song Dynasty. Standing by the Ganjiang River, the Pavilion shone like an eye-catching pearl. The shiny Pavilion of Prince Teng embodies the brilliance of both the Tang Dynasty and the Song Dynasty! It attracts more and more tourists and has become a popular cultural scenic spot in Nanchang.