One cannot leave Xian, without visiting the Bell Tower & the Drum Tower, Xian; one of the most popular tourist attractions of the City. Whenever you come here, for a family holiday or honeymoon, do not forget to include the Bell Tower & the Drum Tower, Xian in your itinerary. The Bell Tower is an ancient building that marks the geographical center of the ancient capital. It is an important landmark of Xian.
The Bell Tower & the Drum Tower is built of wood and is the largest and best-preserved monument of its kind in China. The tower is 36 meters or 118 feet high. It stands on a brick base that is 35.5 meters long and 8.6 meters high on each side. During the Ming Dynasty, Xian was a vital military town in Northwest China, a fact that is mirrored in the size and historic significance of its tower.
The Bell Tower & the Drum Tower, Xian was built in 1384 by Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang as a way to control the surrounding countryside and to provide as a base from where he could receive early warning of attack by rival rulers. The tower has three layers of eaves but only two stories. Inside, a staircase spirals up. The dark green glazed tiles on the eaves, grey bricks of the square base, gold-plating on the roof and gilded color painting lend a colorful and dramatic effect to this masterpiece of Ming-style architecture. Besides enhancing the beauty of the building, the three layers of eaves minimize the impact of rain on the building.
On the second floor of the Bell Tower, a plaque set in the west wall records the relocation of the tower in 1582. When it was first built in the year 1384, it stood near the Drum Tower on the central axis of the city, and continued to mark the center of the city since Tang Dynasty and the following the Five Dynasties and the Song and Yuan Dynasties. As the city grew, however, the geographical center changed. Therefore, in 1582, the Tower was moved 1,000 meters east of the original site.
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