– Mao Zedong · Spring 1927
Nine great streams flow vast through central land,
A long thread of rail runs deep through south and north.
Mist and rain blend into boundless gray,
Tortoise and Snake hold the great river tight.
Where has the yellow crane gone?
Only the tower remains for visitors.
I pour wine libation to the surging waves;
My heart surges higher with the tide.
Note
Mao Zedong wrote this poem in spring 1927 when he visited Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan, amid a critical turning point of the Chinese revolution, expressing his deep concern for the nation and strong revolutionary determination.
The tower was famous for the views it commanded over the Yangtse River and its tributaries flowing from the west to the east, over the Beijing-Guangzhou railway extending from the north to the south, over the two hills, one like a tortoise protruding from the northern bank, and the other like a snake uncoiling on the southern bank, both seeming to hold tight the great Yangtse River.
This poem was written in the spring of 1927 when Mao Zedong, after making an investigation on the peasant movement in Hunan Province. came to Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province, to attend a joint meeting of representatives of peasants of various provinces. The right opportunists in the Communist Party dared not support the great revolutionary struggle of the peasants, preferred to desert the peasantry and thus left the working class and the Communist Party isolated and without help. As a result, the Kuomintang murdered leaders of the workers, suppressed peasants and made war on the people in the summer of 1927. Then Mao Zedong left Wuhan to organize the famous autumn harvest uprising in Hunan Province.
Ci (Song‑style lyric)
A form of classical Chinese poetry that follows fixed tonal patterns called cipai. Pusa Man (Bodhisattva Man) is a short, lyrical cipai often used to express melancholy, ambition, or scenery‑based emotion.
Yellow Crane Tower culture
As one of China’s Three Great Towers south of the Yangtze, Yellow Crane Tower has been a classic theme in Chinese poetry for over a thousand years, symbolizing parting, transcendence, historical reflection, and nostalgia.
Libation custom
Pouring wine onto the ground or water as a sacrifice or to express strong emotions is an ancient Chinese ritual used to show resolve, grief, or solemn oath.
Yellow Crane Tower legend
An ancient Chinese myth says a Taoist immortal once rode a yellow crane away from this tower and never returned. It has since become a famous allusion for disappearance, transcendence, and the passage of time.
Nine great streams
A traditional term referring to the many tributaries of the Yangtze River in the middle and lower reaches, symbolizing China’s vast territory and turbulent times.
Tortoise Mountain & Snake Mountain
Refers to Guishan (Tortoise Mountain) and Sheshan (Snake Mountain) on opposite banks of the Yangtze at Wuhan. The phrase “lock the great river” describes their majestic geographical posture and implies the heavy atmosphere of the era.
Libation to the waves
A poetic act that expresses determination, commitment to ideals, and a fighting spirit rising with the river’s waves.
菩萨蛮·黄鹤楼
毛泽东 · 一九二七年春
茫茫九派流中国，
沉沉一线穿南北。
烟雨莽苍苍，
龟蛇锁大江。
黄鹤知何去？
剩有游人处。
把酒酹滔滔，
心潮逐浪高！
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