Drum Tower

Description

Opposite to the Bell Tower there is an ancient building - the Drum Tower in the ancient City Xian,The Bell Tower, is a stately traditional building, that marks the geographical center of the ancient capital. From this important landmark extend East, South, West and North Streets, connecting the Tower to the East, South, West and North Gates of the City Wall of the Ming Dynasty.
The wooden tower, which is the largest and best-preserved of its kind in China, is 34 meters (about 112 feet) high and 52.6 meters (about 172 feet) long from east to west as well as 38 meters (about 124 feet) wide from north to south.. During the Ming Dynasty, Xian was an important military town in Northwest China, a fact that is reflected in the size and historic significance of its tower. At the time people knew the correct time by the signal from the Drum Tower.

The bell is struck during the daybreak and when the sunset the drum is beaten. "The evening drum and morning bell" makes the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower like a couple of twins. They take turns to give the correct time and add mien to each other. When the evening comes, the drum are beaten, this set the warning tone for all the people in the city that they should start to go home, and the enforcement of martial law will soon take place. All the street vendors and pedestrians on the street will have to get ready and go home at once.After the drum is beaten, the officers and soldiers will patrol the street to make sure no one walk on the city streets in the evening. Signals from the drum and the bell is the method that imperial court maintained the public order in Ming Dynasty (1386 ~ 1644A.D.).
The Drum Tower in Xian was initially built in 1380 during the reign of Emperor Hongwu of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) as a way to dominate the surrounding countryside and provide early warning of attack by rival rulers.
In the 1960s, the local government renovated the entire Drum Tower. The main structure has two layers, up and down layers. There are seven rooms in the front and inside there are three others respectively. The corridors are all around. The outer eaves are decorated with dark green arc and it makes the Drum Tower looks clear and beautiful. Visitors can go upstairs to the second floor, and enjoy the views around the Drum Tower. Meanwhile, you will notice that there are twenty-four drums in the north and south sides of the Drum Tower. These drums stand for the Twenty-four Solar Terms which is a kind of weather calendar created by the Chinese ancients in order to guide the agricultural production.
In recent years, the Xian government tried to balance the development of the ancient and new constructions in the city, trying to let them stand in harmonious proportion. If you want to experience and imagine the brilliant years of the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower, it will be your excellent choice!