Bell Tower Xian
China - Xian - Beijing - Guangzhou - Chengdu - Dalian - Shenzhen - Shanghai - Hangzhou
Bell Tower, Xian
The Bell Tower, the traditional building in Xian is situated in the very heart of the city and at the junction of four main roads. The Bell Tower was first built in 1384, in the Yingxiang Temple which used to be located in the center of the city; the present construction was built in 1582 and restored in 1739.
The tower was built by Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang as a way to dominate the surrounding countryside and provide early warning of attack by rival rulers.
There is a huge bell hanging on the roof of the tower which was traditionally used to tell the time by and there are other, smaller bells on exhibit in the tower too.
Ever since its establishment, the tower has become the symbol of Xian. Now it is a historic monument in Shaanxi Province
The square-shaped base of the tower occupies an area of 1,337.4 square meters and is 8.6 meters high and 35.5 meters wide. The base was completely laid with blue bricks. The building proper is a mixed structure of bricks and wood, and it is 36 meters high. Three storeys of eaves are seen from the exterior of the buildings. The interior of the building is only two storeys. The eaves are supported by colorful dougong # a unique Chinese architectural style of brackets inserted on the top of columns and crossbeams. They not only made the whole building firm, but also look artistic.
Not far from the Tower, modern shopping malls and a brightly decorated square can be seen. When night falls, lanterns hung from the eaves illuminate the tower, making it even more enchanting.
About 300 meters to the northwest of the Bell Tower, stands another building known as the Drum Tower, it was built in 1380, four years older than the Bell Tower. There used to be a huge drum in the tower which told the time at dusk; hence, the name Drum Tower. The bell in the Bell Tower and the drum in the Drum Tower, have been referred to as "the Morning Bell" and "the Dusk Drum". Later, the drum was no longer used to tell time but only to give warnings to people in times of war
The Tower can only be accessed form the Subway on Bei Dajie where visitors can buy their tickets
