Bell Tower & Drum Tower


Both the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower were listed as cultural relics under the municipal-level protection. With
the two towers rivaling each other, the ancient city of Xi'an is more beautiful and spectacular than ever before.

Bell Tower
The Bell Tower is located in the center of downtown area where the North Street, the South Street, the East Street
and the West Street join. It was first built in Yingxiang Temple in 1384, to mark the center of the city, it was built by
Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang as a way to dominate the surrounding countryside and provide early warning of attack by
rival rulers.

The Bell Tower has a classical structure with carved beams and painted rafters. It is 36 meters above ground.
The base of the Bell Tower is 1,337.4 square meters in size, 8.6 meters high and 35.5 meters wide. It is a brick-and-wood structure, with its eaves
supported by colored dou gong, a traditional structure unique to ancient china. The tower has three layers of eaves but only two stories. Inside, a
staircase spirals up. The grey bricks of the square base, the dark green glazed tiles on the eaves, gold-plating on the roof and gilded color painting
make the tower a colorful and dramatic masterpiece of Ming-style architecture. In addition to enhancing the beauty of the building, the three layers
of eaves reduce the impact of rain on the building.

Drum Tower
Erected in 1380, the Drum Tower is the counterpart of the Bell Tower, which is 300 meters to the southeast. Like the Bell Tower, the Drum tower
was used to tell time. An enormous drum once declared the hour at dusk, but later it was only used to warn of attacks. The base of the Drum Tower
is 1,924 square meters, and its height is 34 meters.

The outside of the Drum Tower on its first floor, hangs many large drums. Each was decorated with some beautiful
Chinese writing, which symbolizes good fortune. The impressive arrays of drums are only on show and visitors are
not allowed to beat any of them. But there is a extra charge drum near the front entrance where you can have a try or
pose for a picture for a small fee.

Inside the Drum Tower now is a drum museum, where a variety of drums are on display, some of which can be
dated back a thousands years. A kind of drum show is performed here everyday. The top of the tower commands
a panoramic view of the city.