The Drum Tower of Xi'an (), located in the heart of

Xi'an Xi'an is the list of capitals in China, capital of the Chinese province of Shaanxi. A sub-provincial city on the Guanzhong plain, the city is the third-most populous city in Western China after Chongqing and Chengdu, as well as the most populou ...

, the capital of

Shaanxi Shaanxi is a Provinces of China, province in north Northwestern China. It borders the province-level divisions of Inner Mongolia to the north; Shanxi and Henan to the east; Hubei, Chongqing, and Sichuan to the south; and Gansu and Ningxia to t ...

province, Northwestern China, along with the

Bell Tower A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell to ...

is a symbol of the city. Erected in 1380 during the early

Ming Dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

(

Hongwu The Hongwu Emperor (21 October 1328– 24 June 1398), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Taizu of Ming, personal name Zhu Yuanzhang, courtesy name Guorui, was the List of emperors of the Ming dynasty, founding emperor of the Ming dyna ...

era), it stands towering above the city center and offers an incredible view of Xi'an. The Drum Tower is in a predominantly Muslim district of Xi'an, known as the Drum Tower Muslim District (DTMD). The Drum Tower got its name from the huge drum located within the building. In contrast to the Bell Tower, where the bell was stricken at dawn, the drum was beaten at sunset to indicate the end of the day. On the Drum Tower's first floor, lies a hall in which hang many large drums. Each is decorated with intrinsic and beautiful Chinese writing, which symbolises good fortune. The impressive arrays of drums are only on show and visitors are not allowed to touch any of them. But there is an extra drum near the front entrance where visitors can pose for pictures for a small fee. Inside the Drum Tower there is also a drum museum, where a variety of drums are on display, some of which can be dated back thousands of years. There is a drum show performed here every day. The top of the tower commands a panoramic view of the city.

Gallery

File:The_Drum_Tower_of_Xi'an_2.JPG, Drum Tower from east File:Drum Tower Xi'an.jpg, Drum Tower in night

References

{{authority control Buildings and structures completed in 1380 Towers completed in the 14th century Towers in China Drum towers Museums in Xi'an Musical instrument museums Ming dynasty architecture Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Shaanxi Tourist attractions in Xi'an Buildings and structures in Xi'an Music organizations based in China

Gallery

See also

References