The pavilion was first built in 1078 by Zhang Tianji (1040-?), a hermit scholar of the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Later it weathered and collapsed. In 1532, the pavilion was rebuilt on the original site by Dai Shizong (1494-1558), a senior procurator of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The pavilion stands facing west and has a north-south span of 11.95 meters and an east-west interior span of 4.95 meters. With its mountain shaped roof and upturned outstretching eaves, the pavilion appears simple and stylish. On the horizontal inscribed board of the pavilion, the Chinese equivalents for the "Crane-flying Pavilion" was the calligraphy of Emperor Qianlong (reign 1735-1796) of the Qing Dynasty(1644-1912); now those Chinese equivalents on the board are the handwriting of Su Shi (1037-1101), who, then a friend of the hermit scholar, wrote an essay about the pavilion: Chalet of Cranes.