Adress:Distance from Centre of city 0 Km, from the airport 45 Km, from the railway station 4 Km
Admission Fee: CNY 27
CNY 40 for Bell Tower and Drum Tower
Opening Hours:09:10 to 18:00
Recommended Time for a Visit: Two hours
Transportation:1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 15, 32, 43, 45, 201, 205, 206, 215, 218, 221, 222, 251, 300, 604, 611, 612, K630, Tourist Bus No.8 (610)
Hotels nearby: Royal Garden Hotel - Xian,City Hotel Xian - Xian,Canaan International Hotel - Xian.
Sinic Spots nearby:Bell and Drum Square.

Bell Tower

Description
The Bell Tower in Xian is situated in the very heart of the city and at the junction of four main roads. There is a huge bell hanging on the roof of the tower. In early morning of ancient times it had the mission of ringing the bell and giving the correct time to the whole city, so called "The Bell Tower". Bell Tower went through many dynasties. This tower had become the symbol of Xian since it was built.

The tower was built in 1384 by Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang as a way to dominate the surrounding countryside and provide early warning of attack by rival rulers. The Bell Tower was originally set at the intersection of Xi Dajie (West Street) and Guangji Jie (Guangji Street) in the Yingxiang Temple, which was the center of the site of the old Tang Imperial City. It was removed to its present place in 1582 in the center of the southern section of the walled city and was restored several times.
There is a beautiful legend about the Drum Tower transplant
In the Ming dynasty, continuous earthquakes killed many people and a popular explanation goes that an evil gigantic dragon in the huge undercurrent beneath the city caused it. Later the dragon was trussed up by a 300-meter iron chain and people built the tower over the place to stop forever, its spells. So it was halcyon.

Architectural Achievement
The tower has a square-shaped brick platform and covers an area of 1,377 square meters. It is 8.6 meters high and 35.5 meters wide and built completely with green bricks. The tower is a brick and timber structure and 36 meters high. The tower has three layers of eaves but only two stories and internal is up and down layers. 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. The engraved arcs under each eaves come with color designs. The arc is one of the specialties in ancient timber constructions. It is unique in the history of world construction. It not only makes the construction firm, but also make it more beautiful.
On the second floor, a plaque set in the west wall records the relocation of the tower in 1582. As the city grew, however, the geographical center changed. Therefore, in 1582, the Tower was moved 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) east of the original site. Except for the base, all parts are original, and history tells us that the relocation was accomplished quickly and inexpensively, making it a truly notable achievement in the architectural history in China.
The Bell Tower is worthy for you to visit!
Because of its old age, many legends and anecdotes about the Bell Tower had been passing on from ancient times.