Known as the symbol of Xian, its history can be traced back to the Ming Dynasty. Each Ming city had a bell tower and a drum tower. The bell was sounded at dawn and the drum at dusk. 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.

Architectural Achievement

The tower has a square-shaped brick platform, each side of which is 35.5 meters (116 feet) long and 8.6 meters (28 feet) high and on the top is a triple-eaved, two-story wooden structure with carved beams and color-painted rafters, a further 27.4 meters (90feet) high. Colorful dougong -- a unique Chinese architecture of brackets inserted on the top of columns and crossbeams strengthen the building and enhance the artistic. The design of this kind is also perceptible from the engravings on bronzes dating back to the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.). The inside is a remarkable example of the very intricate roof truss system used in Ming and Qing wooden architecture. In a corner of the brick platform is a Ming-period bell.

On fine day, you may feast your eyes on a panoramic view of the city from the parapet on the second floor.

Legend of the Drum Tower

A legend has it that 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 its spells forever.

Another story concerned the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty who was born into a poor family. He lived an orphan life after his parents' deaths, herding sheep for the rich landowners. Later when he ascended the throne, afraid of being deposed by others of "real dragon" (i.e. royal descent) he ordered bell towers to be built all over the country to repress the "dragon spirits". Thus Xian was considered the center place where the "dragon spirits" run rampant.