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Two
blocks west of the Bell Tower, stands the Drum Tower, which was built
in 1380. There used to be a huge drum in the tower, which told the time
at dusk; hence, the Bell and the Drum 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.
Quite similar to the nearby Bell Tower, the
Drum Tower also has a triple-eaved, two-storey wooden structure high off
its rectangular brick platform, which is 52.6 meters (172feet) long, 38
meters (125 feet) wide and 7.7 meters (25 feet) high. Parapets on each
tier surround the center and The elegance and grandeur outer eaves decorated
with wooden arches reveals much of the superb architectural artifice.
The second storey is now used as an antique shop, for which it provides
a very original setting. A road goes straight through it extending to
the Muslim quarter.
Admission: 10 (RMB)
Opening Time: 8:30 - 17:30
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