Tongan bell tower

Tongan bell tower

Tongan bell tower, located in the center of Tongxin Road, Tongan Chengguan, Xiamen City, stands a five storey bell tower. The bell tower was built in 1930 to commemorate the martyrs Zhuang Zunxian and pan Jiewen who died in the war of defending the country and fighting against yuan after the revolution of 1911.

The origin of the bell tower

The clock tower faces south. It has a five story brick concrete structure. The building is square in plane, with a sharp top on all sides and a total height of 23 meters. The bottom layer is 4.33 meters long, with a square foundation built by stone under it, 1.08 meters high and 9.3 meters long on each side. There are seven stone steps in the south. On the third floor, the front wall is engraved with the inscription "memorial bell tower for martyrs Zhuang and pan". The walls on the fourth and fifth floors are retracted layer by layer to form a corridor connecting the four sides. The four facades of the fourth floor, each with a circular clock embedded in it, have disappeared. On the fifth floor, the South forehead wall is engraved with the inscription "the 19th year of the Republic of China" in regular script. Shicheng and guardrails around the clock tower were added in 1987 when they were rebuilt.

Zhuang Zunxian (1875-1916), whose name is Yucai, was born in Guankou of Tong'an (now belonging to Jimei District of Xiamen City) and a member of the Revolutionary Party of the United League. On the eve of the revolution of 1911, he founded Guankou commercial natural agriculture and forestry planting Co., Ltd. as a cover, and secretly engaged in activities to overthrow the rule of the Qing Dynasty. After the outbreak of the Wuchang Uprising, he led the Guankou revolutionary army to take part in the campaign to recover Zhangquan Prefecture. Later, Yuan Shikai usurped power to steal the fruits of the revolution of 1911. Tongan county changed its banner again. Zhuang Zunxian summoned the old army to rebuild it, and took pan Jiewen (1890-1916, Yijing, Fujian Yongchun, graduated from Baoding Military Academy) as the military instructor. On the night of May 5, the fifth year of the Republic of China, Zhuang Zunxian and pan Jiewen died when they led more than 180 revolutionary troops to attack Tongan county. Zhuang Zunxian died at the age of 41, while pan Jiewen died at the age of 26.

After their sacrifice, Zhuang Zunxian and pan Jiewen were buried in the inner school yard of xiaoximen in Tongan. In April of the 12th year of the Republic of China, Zhang Zhen, former commander-in-chief of the National Revolutionary Army's autonomous army, moved the bones of Zhuang and pan to Tongan's outer school yard for re burial. The tomb was surrounded by iron bars, known locally as "Tiezhi tomb". Unfortunately, the martyrs' tombs of Zhuang and pan were demolished in 1967, and the former warehouse of Tongan Zhongbai company was built.

summary

The bell tower is located at No. 65, Nanmen Road, in the center of the old urban area of Tong'an District, Xiamen City, opposite Shuangxi park. Founded in 1930 (the 19th year of the Republic of China), it was built in memory of two martyrs Zhuang Zunxian and pan Jiewen who died in the war of protecting the country.

In the center of the ancient city of Tong'an stands a bell tower. There is no time reporting device, and there is no melodious bell. The ancient clock tower overlooks the traffic at the foot, guarding the loneliness alone.

91 years ago, the situation of the war of national defense has already turned into dust and disappeared in the track of time. The unique bell tower has left a mark for future generations.

"On the night of June 1, 1916 (the Dragon Boat Festival of the lunar calendar), Tongan witnessed the" battle of protecting the country "against Yuan Shikai's restoration as emperor. Zhuang Zunxian and pan Jiewen, members of the" Chinese revolutionary party ", led the" Southern Fujian yuan Alliance Army "to attack the county seat, fought a bloody battle with a battalion of the northern army, and unfortunately died in artillery. Due to the lack of morale and ammunition, Tong'an's anti yuan campaign failed. In 1930, Mr. Chen Yanxiang, the elder of 1911, raised money to build a "bell tower" in the heart of the city to commemorate the two martyrs. "

This is the origin of the bell tower. With its completion, Tongan county has a new peak. Today, the ancient Tong'an city has long been full of traffic, but the clock tower is still a landmark standing in the old city. "To the bell tower." As long as you report these three words, Tongan's motorcycle driver will be able to deliver you to your destination without any other words.

However, for the new Tongan people, the existence of the bell tower is only a landmark. They ask a few Tongan people under the age of 30: "how is the history of the bell tower?" The answer is not to stare at each other, or look at each other.

Mr. Yan Lishui, former director of Tongan County Cultural Bureau and expert in culture and history, recalled the old story of the bell tower.

During the Anti Japanese War and for a long time after liberation, the bell tower was the "issuing center" of air raid alarm. First, a bell cast by the United States in 1921 was moved from Houhe Church in Tong'an. Later, it was replaced by an air defense alarm. In case of an aircraft attack, the rapid bell and sharp air defense alarm sounded from here one after another.

"The alarm was so long that it could be heard in the countryside." Mr. Yan said that after the uprising of Taiwan pilot Hu Hongyi in 1954, he made a forced landing at the stream near Shuangxi Park in Tongan. At that time, the air defense alarm on the clock tower rang for a long time.

Since the 1960s, the bell tower has become the residence of Tong'an fire brigade again. Until 1988, the fire brigade moved away. At that time, when Mr. Yan was the director of Tongan County Cultural Bureau, he organized people to demolish some buildings around the clock tower and renovate them, so as to restore the original appearance of the clock tower. Since then, the clock tower has become a cultural relic protection unit. The air defense alarm clock and air defense alarm used in those years are still on the clock tower, but they have become cultural relics, and the clock tower is also lonely in the surrounding noise, recalling the past.

What's new

1. Xiamen Tong'an bell tower No.1 mall will introduce Starbucks and others to open on November 1, 2013

Address: Tongxin Road

Longitude: 118.15203

Latitude: 24.7305

Chinese PinYin : Tong An Zhong Lou