bell tower and drum tower

Bell and Drum Tower in Xi'an

synonym

Bell and Drum Tower (Xi'an Bell and Drum Tower) generally refers to Xi'an Bell and Drum Tower

Xi'an Bell and Drum Tower is the combination of Xi'an bell tower and Xi'an Drum Tower. It is located in the center of Xi'an City, the capital of Shaanxi Province. It is a landmark building in Xi'an. The two Ming Dynasty buildings echo each other and are magnificent.

Xi'an bell tower was built in the 17th year of Hongwu in Ming Dynasty (1384 AD). It was originally built on the east side of Guangji street in the north of today's West Street. It was moved to the current site in the 10th year of Wanli in Ming Dynasty (1582 AD). The bell tower is an attic building with double eaves, three drops of water and four corners with a sharp top. It covers an area of 1377.64 square meters and is built on a square base made of green brick and white ash. Under the base, there is a 6-meter-high and 6-meter-wide cross shaped ticket hole, which connects with the four streets in the southeast, northwest and North.

The drum tower in Xi'an was built in 1380 A.D., earlier than the bell tower. The drum tower is built on a tall rectangular platform with a 6-meter-high and 6-meter-wide north-south hole.

Landscape introduction

The bell tower in Xi'an is an ancient building embodying the architectural style of Chinese nation in Ming Dynasty. It was first built in the 17th year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (1384 AD). The original site was at the entrance of Guangji street, now the West Street. It was moved to the current site in the 10th year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty (1582 AD). It became an axis building linking East and West, echoing north and south. In the past, there was a big bell hanging upstairs, which was used to call the police and tell the time, so it was called "bell tower".

The whole structure of the bell tower is mainly made of brick and wood. From bottom to top, there are three parts: the base, the building and the top. The building is of wooden structure, with three rooms deep and three rooms wide. It is a building form of "double eaves, three drops of water" and "four corners and top". From the ground to Baoding, it is 36 meters high and covers an area of 1377.64 square meters. The base is square with a height of 8.6 meters. In the center of the four sides of the base, there are ticket shaped door openings with a height of 6 meters and a width of 6 meters, which are connected with the four streets in the southeast, northwest and North. The building is divided into two floors. The four corners of each floor are decorated with bright pillars, corridors, colorful windows and carved doors. In particular, each floor is decorated with classic and beautiful patterns such as Dougong, caisson, wood carving and color painting. It is a magnificent building with strong Chinese national characteristics, and also the largest and most complete bell tower in China. The four corners of the eaves fly up, like birds spreading their wings. The animal kisses composed of various Chinese classical animal patterns are set off by the glazed tile roof, giving people the beauty of simple form, elegant art, gorgeous color and distinct layers. The top of the pagoda is shining in the sun, which makes the ancient building more beautiful.

From the North steps of the bell tower, the round painted pattern of "ten thousand rays" on the top of the hall on the first floor first came into view, surrounded by 184 painted ceilings composed of four seasons flowers, which are bright, gorgeous and lifelike. The west wall of the hall on the first floor is inlaid with three inscriptions The first one is the inscription left by the people's Government of Xi'an city after the renovation of the bell tower in 1953; the second one is the monument of "rebuilding the bell tower in Xi'an" written by Zhang Kai, governor of Shaanxi Province, after the five-year overhaul of the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty; the third one is the monument of "song of the bell tower moving eastward" written by Gong Maoxian, governor of Shaanxi Province, after the bell tower moved eastward The value of the bell tower and the political color of the feudal ruling class are appropriately reflected and evaluated.

Xi'an Drum Tower is the largest Drum Tower in China. It is located at the south end of the north gate of Xi'an West Street, facing the bell tower in the East. The drum tower was first built in the 13th year of Hongwu reign of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty, and rebuilt twice in the 38th year of Kangxi reign and the 5th year of Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty. There was a huge drum on the upper floor, which was called "Drum Tower" because it beat the drum to tell the time every day. The drum tower is across Beiyuanmen street. The drum tower and the bell tower are twin brothers. They are only half a mile apart, reflecting each other and adding color to the ancient city. The drum tower was built in 1380, four years earlier than the original bell tower. The floor area is 738.55 square meters larger than that of the bell tower, and the height is 34 meters. In ancient times, there was a big drum hanging on the upper floor. In the evening, the drum was played to report the time to the residents of the city, so it was called the drum tower.

Geng Bingwen, the Marquis of Changxing, and Wang Zongzhou, the magistrate of Xi'an, presided over the construction of the drum tower. It is said that they laid the foundation for the Drum Tower Project in the misty light rain. It was rebuilt twice in 1699 and 1740, respectively. According to the records of rebuilding the drum tower in Xi'an in the fifth year of Qianlong reign, the wheat harvest in Shaanxi Province last year was very good. There was a peaceful scene that "men married women, and rites promoted lawsuits". So the drum tower was restructured following the example of ancient times. Wang Rui, the magistrate of Chang'an County, was specifically responsible for the repair. The reconstructed Drum Tower has a magnificent and bright appearance. When you climb the building, you can see the downtown scenery and Qinchuan scenery vividly.

In ancient times, the bell was used to report the morning and the drum was used to report the evening. At the same time, drumming at night to report the time, "three drums" means "three shifts", and "five drums" means "five shifts", five times a night. Xi'an City in Ming Dynasty has a circumference of 11.9 kilometers and an area of 8.7 square kilometers. The drum tower is located in the southwest of the central part of Xi'an city. In order to make the drum sound spread throughout the city, it is necessary to build tall buildings and set up big drums. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the drum tower was mostly surrounded by all levels of Yamen of Shaanxi Province and Xi'an government. The office of these Yamen and the life of the residents around them were inseparable from the drum sound, which became the most familiar and pleasant sound at that time. Li yunkuan's plaque of "sound in the sky" makes the finishing point and illustrates the practical significance of the drum tower. There are stairs in the building. You can have a panoramic view of the whole city by climbing upstairs. The drum tower in Xi'an is one of the main symbols and representatives of the buildings in Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Architectural form

The architectural form of Xi'an Drum Tower is Xieshan style with double eaves and three drops of water. The brick base of the high platform is 52.6 meters long from east to west, 38 meters wide from north to south, and 7.7 meters high. In the middle of the north and south, there is a gate with a height and width of 6 meters. The drum tower is rectangular, with two floors. The base is 38 meters wide, 52.6 meters long and 7.7 meters high. The whole body is built with green bricks. There is a ticket hole in the middle of the north and the south for people and cars to enter and leave, with a height and width of 6 meters. The main building of the drum tower is located in the center of the base, with double eaves and three drops of water. The first floor is covered with waist eaves and flat seats, and the second floor is covered with green glazed tiles, which belongs to double eaves and Xieshan style. The width of the upper and lower layers is 7, the depth is 3, and there are corridors around. The eaves and seats are decorated with green painted brackets, which makes the level of the building more clear. In the past, under the third eaves, a plaque was hung in the north and the south respectively. In the south, it was called "the land of civil and military prosperity", which was inscribed by Zhao kehuai, the governor of Shaanxi Province, in the 18th year of Wanli (A.D. 1580) of the Ming Dynasty after the completion of the reconstruction of the drum tower. In the north, it was called "Shengwen Yutian", with the word "Da Yingjian", vigorous and straight. It is said that it was written by Li yunkuan, a famous Confucian in Xianning county. The two plaques were destroyed in the "Cultural Revolution"

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Go back to history

Every old man in Xi'an clearly remembers that two plaques were hung under the eaves of the north and south of the drum tower. In the South was the place where culture and martial arts flourished, and in the North was the place where sound was heard in the sky. The two groups of eight characters are all in the form of gold lettering, which is the best of the two groups. Yu Jun, head of the business section of Xi'an Bell and drum tower storage office, said: "during the cultural revolution, two giant plaques were cut off and burned up. From then on, it is said that one of the two plaques in China is the" first pass in the world "of Shanhaiguan, and the other is the" place of culture and military prosperity "of Xi'an Drum Tower It's a pity in the hearts of the people. In order to give the future generations an account and return the true face of history, the idea of restoring the two plaques has sprouted since 1982, and relevant investigation, research and evidence collection work have been started. Since 1988, there have been motions and proposals to restore the plaques at every session of the Municipal People's Congress and the Municipal People's Political Consultative Conference. While calling for the two plaques, the general public of Xi'an are enthusiastic and actively participate in it It greatly promoted the process of restoring the plaque. From March to July 2004, the Xi'an Municipal Committee of the Chinese people's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the Shaanxi Provincial Bureau of cultural relics held several symposiums on "the discussion and study of the history and culture around the drum tower" and "the restoration of the plaque on the drum tower" respectively. The opinions and suggestions of experts, scholars and elders were widely solicited for the restoration of the plaque. At the symposium held on July 9, 2004, the Shaanxi Provincial Bureau of cultural relics, the Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Preservation Center, and the former Xi'an city's cultural relics garden were discussed The relevant leaders and experts of the Bureau, Shaanxi Academy of calligraphy and other units have made the final deliberation and improvement of the preliminary plan, and formulated the principle of "using the size and form of the original words, using modern light-weight materials, but using traditional technology to make the original appearance of the two plaques.".

The restoration of the two plaques not only dispels the wishes and regrets of the cultural relics workers and the general public, but also adds soul and charm to the drum tower. It will live forever with the continuation of history. It will play an immeasurable role in encouraging future generations and the value of cultural relics. After the initial plan was formed, the Institute cooperated with Xi'an Municipal Bureau of cultural relics to do a lot of research and deliberation, and collected nearly 100 old photos. From the rudiment of the restoration plan, discussion to the initial decision, after countless times of unremitting efforts and discussion and running in, but due to the problems of funds and so on, the restoration of the plaque had to be shelved first... "

Legend of plaque

Introduction to plaque

Xi'an Drum Tower was built in 1380 ad in the 13th year of Hongwu in Ming Dynasty. After the renovation in 1740 (the fifth year of the reign of Emperor Qianlong), it is said that Zhang Kai, governor of Shaanxi Province, imitated the Emperor Qianlong's "imperial pen" to write the South plaque for the Drum Tower: "the land of culture and military prosperity" and the North plaque“

Chinese PinYin : Zhong Gu Lou