Drum Tower: In ancient times, a big drum was hung upstairs and played at night to tell the time to the residents of the whole city, so it was called Drum Tower.
Xi 'an Bell Tower is located in the center of Xi, at the intersection of four streets, east, west, north and south, within the Ming City Wall.
Xi 'an Drum Tower is located in the center of Xi 'an, an ancient capital, about 200 meters northwest of Xi 'an Bell Tower, at the intersection of four streets in the Ming city wall.
Xi 'an Drum Tower is located at the southern end of the north courtyard gate of Xi 'an Xi Street, and it is adjacent to the bell tower in the east. Built in the 13th year of Hongwu of Zhu Yuanzhang, the founder of Ming Dynasty, it is four years older than the bell tower and has a history of 625 years.
It was rebuilt twice in the thirty-eighth year of Kangxi in Qing Dynasty and five years of Qianlong in Qing Dynasty. There is a huge drum upstairs, which is called "Drum Tower" because it strikes the time every day. After years of vicissitudes, the giant drum is long gone, but it stands tall in the Drum Tower.
Xi 'an Bell Tower records the vicissitudes of Xi 'an and engraves the sadness and pride in Xi 'an people's hearts.
bell tower
Xi 'an is the national military and political center in Ming Dynasty, and the building scale, historical value and artistic value of Xi 'an Bell Tower rank first among similar buildings in China.
The bell tower is built on a square base, with brick and wood structure, three eaves and four corners. The total height is 36 meters, the base is 8.6 meters, each side is 35.5 meters long, and the area is about 1, 377.4 square meters. There are spiraling stairs. The eaves are covered with dark green glazed tiles, the building is decorated with gold and Qi Diao beams, and the top is covered with gold-plated treasures, which is magnificent. Taking it as the center, it radiates four streets in the east, south, west and north, which are connected with the east, south, west and north gate of the Ming city wall respectively.
The bell tower was built in the seventeenth year of Hongwu, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty (AD 1384), and was named after an iron bell hanging upstairs. When it was first built, it was located at Guangji Street, facing the Drum Tower. Ming Shenzong Wanli Decade (AD 1582) was presided over by Gong Xian, the patrol ambassador, who moved the bell tower to this site.
The bell tower is a typical architectural art style of Ming Dynasty, with double eaves and arches, towering roof, slightly upturned eaves, gorgeous and solemn.
It is said that an earthquake occurred in Guanzhong area shortly after the Ming Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang ascended the throne. According to folklore, there is an underground river under the city and a dragon in it. The dragon is turning over and Chang 'an is shaking. Zhu Yuanzhang was afraid and uneasy, so he tried to hold it down. The Taoist magician gave him an idea to build a bell tower in the center of Xi. The bell is the voice of heaven and earth, which can hold the dragon. Therefore, Zhu Yuanzhang specially built a bell tower, which is the largest bell tower in China, and called "the first bell in the world" Jingyun Bell. When the bell tower was repaired, the Jing Yun bell hung up, and Zhu Yuanzhang sent his eldest son to guard Xi 'an. This is the famous Qin captaincy, and the palace of Qin captaincy is in Anxin City today. The two bronze lions at the main entrance of Beilin Museum belong to Qin king Palace. After the Ming Dynasty made Nanjing its capital, there was a discussion about moving the capital. Some ministers advocate moving the capital to Xi. Zhu Yuanzhang had some demons. He specially sent Prince Zhu Biao to Xi 'an for a field trip, chose the base address of the palace and made a map of Shaanxi. However, after returning, the prince became ill and died the following year. The event of moving the capital to Xi 'an never came true.
drum tower
Xi Drum Tower is the largest drum tower in China. It is located at the southern end of the north courtyard gate of Xi 'an Anxi Street, facing the bell tower in the east.
Drum Tower spans Beiyuanmen Street. Drum tower and bell tower are twin brothers, only half a mile apart, which set each other off and add a lot of color to the ancient city.
The Drum Tower was built in the 13th year of Hongwu in Ming Dynasty (AD 1380), four years earlier than the original bell tower. The basement area of the building is 738.55 square meters larger than the bell tower and 34 meters higher, which is as beautiful as the bell tower. In ancient times, there was a big drum hanging upstairs. At night, it was drummed to tell the time to the residents of the whole city, so it was called the Drum Tower.
The people who presided over the construction of the Drum Tower were Hou Geng Bingwen of Changxing and King An Zhifu. It is said that the cornerstone of the Drum Tower Project was laid in the misty rain. It was rebuilt twice in the thirty-eighth year of Kangxi (A.D. 1699) and the fourth year of Qianlong (A.D. 1740).
According to "Rebuilding Xi 'an Drum Tower" in Qianlong five years, there was a bumper wheat harvest in Shaanxi last year. "Gansu grain harvest, people wait for life. "There is a peaceful scene of' one man marries one woman, and one ceremony urges the lawsuit'." So he followed the old story and reorganized the Drum Tower. Chang 'an county magistrate Wang Rui is responsible for the repair. After reconstruction, the Drum Tower looks magnificent and bright. Climbing up the stairs, the urban scenery and Qinchuan scenery are vivid.
In ancient times, the bell rang to announce dawn and the drum beat to announce dawn, so it was called "morning bell and dusk drum". At the same time, drums will be played at night to tell the time. The "three drums" are "three shifts" and the "five drums" are "five shifts", which are reported five times a night. The perimeter of Xi 'an City in Ming Dynasty was 1 1.9 km, covering an area of 8.7 square kilometers. Drum tower is located in the southwest of central Xi. In order to spread drums all over the city, it is necessary to build tall buildings and erect drums. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, most government offices around the Drum Tower were located in Shaanxi Province and xi 'an Prefecture. The lives of these yamen and the surrounding residents are inseparable from drums, which became the most familiar and pleasant voice at that time.
Baidu Encyclopedia -Xi An Zhonglou Gulou