Xian Drum Tower
Drum Tower and Bell Tower are called “sister buildings” or “morning bell and dark drum” for the bell in the Bell Tower was stricken at dawn and the drum in the Drum Tower was beat at sunset to indicate the end of the day in ancient times. With a history of over 600 years, they are the largest and best-preserved bell and drum towers of their kind in China, and both regarded as famous landmarks of Xian.
Drum Tower is located in the heart of Xian City, at the intersection of the four main streets (east, west, south and north) within the Xian Old City Wall, and about 200 meters away from Bell Bell Tower. Among the existing Ming Dynasty buildings in China, it is the third largest ancient architectural structure, ranking only after the Taihe Hall of the Forbidden City and the Ling'en Hall of the Changling Mausoleum. Drum Tower of Xian stands out as the best among similar buildings in terms of historical value, artistic value and scientificity.
Xian Drum Tower Facts
Brief History of Drum Tower
The Xi'an Drum Tower was first constructed in the 13th year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty (1380), predating the Bell Tower by four years. Originally housing a massive drum atop its structure, it was named the “Drum Tower” as a big drum was struck daily to mark the hours. Over the centuries, the big drum has long since disappeared.
The construction was overseen by Prince Changxing, Geng Bingwen, and Xi'an Prefect Wang Zongzhou. Legend has it that the foundation stone was laid amidst a misty drizzle. The tower underwent two major renovations during Qing Dynasty: in the 38th year of the Kangxi reign (1699) and the 4th year of the Qianlong reign (1740). As recorded in the “Account of the Reconstruction of Xi'an Drum Tower” from the fifth year of the Qianlong reign (1741), the previous year's bountiful wheat harvest in Shaanxi brought a peaceful scene where “men married women and returned home, rituals flourished and lawsuits ceased.” Thus, following the ancient tradition of “compiling histories in times of prosperity and building towers in years of abundance,” the Drum Tower was restored.
In 1996, Xi'an City decided to recreate the Drum Tower's great drum, reviving the tradition of “morning bells and evening drums.” The recreated drum stands 1.8 meters tall with a drumhead diameter of 2.83 meters, crafted from a single piece of premium cowhide. Its drum body measures 3.43 meters in diameter and weighs 1.5 tons. It features 1,996 rivets, symbolizing its creation in 1996, plus four bronze rings totaling 2,000, representing the year 2000. The drum produces a loud, resonant sound that can be heard ten miles away when struck with a heavy mallet, making it China's largest drum. Between the Bell and Drum Towers lies the Bell and Drum Tower Square, adorned with green grass and red flowers, featuring uniquely designed sound-and-light fountains that change patterns periodically. Don't miss it if you're planning a nighttime walk tour of Xi'an or looking for top things to do in Xian at night.
On February 7, 1997, the first day of the Lunar Chinese New Year, the newly crafted morning bell and evening drum were sounded at the Bell and Drum Towers, earning recognition from Guinness World Records as the largest of their kind.
What Are the Functions of the Drum Tower of Xian?
In ancient China, bells were struck to announce dawn and drums to signal dusk, giving rise to the phrase “morning bells and evening drums.” At night, drums were beaten to announce the time. "The third drumbeat" referred to "the third watch of the night", while "the fifth drumbeat" signified "the fifth watch of the night". A total of 5 beats were given throughout the night.
During the Ming Dynasty, Xi'an's city walls spanned 11.9 kilometers in circumference, covering an area of 8.7 square kilometers. The Drum Tower stood in the southwestern part of the city center. To ensure the drumbeats could be heard throughout the entire city, it was necessary to construct a tall tower and install a large drum.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Xian Drum Tower was surrounded by government offices of the Shaanxi Province and Xi'an Prefecture. Both the administrative functions of these offices and the daily lives of nearby residents relied on the drumbeats, which became the most familiar and pleasant sound to the people of the time. The plaque inscribed by Li Yunkuan with the words “Sound Reaches Heaven” perfectly captures the essence and practical significance of the Drum Tower.
The Change of Drum Tower’s Role in Ancient and Modern Times
In ancient times, especially from the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), the drums were used to signal the running of time and on occasion were used as an alarm in emergency situations. Nowadays the Drum Tower stands towering above the city center and offers incredible panoramic view of Xian.
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Architecture of Drum Tower in Xian China
The tower is 34 meters (about 112 feet) high and 52.6 meters (about 172 feet) long from east to west as well as 38 meters (about 124 feet) wide from north to south. It is a two-storied post and panel structure which combines the traditional Chinese architecture styles of the Tang Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty.
The base features an arched gateway measuring 6 meters in both height and width at its central north-south axis, facilitating access for both pedestrians and vehicles. The drum tower is a timber-framed pavilion structure comprising two stories with a triple-eaved roof. Its front (south-facing) elevation spans seven bays. The depth spans three bays, with surrounding corridors extending one bay in depth on each side. Based on pillar spacing, the front measures nine bays and the sides seven bays—commonly termed “seven bays by nine” in ancient architecture. The roof is covered with gray tiles trimmed at the edges. Except for decorative finials at both ends, the base features no additional ornamentation, exuding a sense of majestic solemnity.
The entire building structure contains no iron nails. The eaves and the base platform both adopt the construction principle of dougong. The exterior eaves and the base platform of the tower are decorated with green and blue painted dougong, making the overall appearance of the tower clear in layers, magnificent and beautiful.
On the Xian Drum Tower's first floor, lies a hall which hangs many large drums, each of which was decorated with intrinsic and beautiful Chinese writing. On the second floor there is a drum exhibition hall, where a variety of drums are on display. In 1996, a new drum, covered by a whole piece of cowhide was given a place on the Drum Tower, which is the biggest drum in China at present.
What to See
Horizontal Inscribed Board (匾额)
Under the third eave of the Drum Tower, there’re two horizontal inscribed boards hang on the north and south sides respectively. The southern board reads Civil and Military Spot 文武盛地, the northern board reads The Voice Heard by Heaven 声闻于天. But unfortunately, they were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution period. Until 2005, these two horizontal inscribed boards were remade according to their original appearances and then rehanged on the Drum Tower.
Calligraphy & Painting (字画)
In the drum exhibition hall, several Qi Baishi and other Chinese artists’ calligraphy and paintings are on display, which are all the classic ones.
Drums (鼓)
There are 24 drums in the north and south side of the Drum Tower. The Chinese traditional 24 solar terms (A kind of weather calendar created by the Chinese ancients in order to guide the agricultural production.) are written on each drum’s surface in a beautiful calligraphy style call “Xiao Zhuan”, respectively. And the other 4 big drums separately stands on the east and west side of the Drum Tower. Meanwhile, you can learn more about drums in the drum exhibition hall on the second floor of Drum Tower. Various drums are on display, some of which can be dated back thousands of years. Besides, the biggest drum will catch your eyes. It is covered by a whole piece of cowhide. If you climb to the top of the tower, you will be served an amazing panoramic view of the ancient Xian City.
Drumming Performances at Xian Drum Tower (击鼓表演)
During the "China Golden Week" in 2007, the Bell Tower and Drum Tower in Xi'an began to hold the "Morning Bell and Evening Drum" ancient-style performance. This move marked the restoration of "Morning Bell and Evening Drum" timekeeping system in Xi'an. Visitors will have a chance to enjoy drumming performances on the Drum Tower, such as Battle Drum Storm, Joyous Celebration, Yellow River Boatmen, Dragon and Tiger Leaping, Encouragement Dance, etc. These performances will enlighten one on the power of ancient Chinese culture and last for 20 minutes.
Drumming Performance Timetable:
09:30, 10:15, 11:00, 11:45, 14:00, 14:45, 15:30, 16:20, daily year round.
Drumming Performance Fee:
CNY 10 per person
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When to Visit
Drum Tower can be visited all year round.
How to Get Here
By Bus
Take Bus 7, 8, 12, 15, 32, 36, 221, 222, 251, 252, 612 or 618, etc. and get off at Bell Station, then walk for 5 minutes to arrive the Drum Tower.
By Metro
Take Metro Line 2 and get off at Bell Tower Station. Then walk for 5 minutes to reach the Drum Tower.
Ticket Price
Entrance Fee: CNY 35 per person
Tips:
Joint ticket of Bell Tower & Drum Tower: CNY 50 per person
Opening Hours
April 1st -October 25th: 08:30-22:00 (Ticket selling stops at 21:30.)
October 26th -next March 31st: 08:30-18:00 (Ticket selling stops at 17:30.)
Travel Tips
When you finish visiting the Drum Tower of Xian, you can walk to the Muslim Quarter (Huimin Jie) which is very close to the Drum Tower, and taste numerous delicious snacks of Shaanxi in it.
Or if you still have enough energy, the nearby attractions like the Bell Tower, the Great Mosque of Xian, Xian Old City Wall, etc. are highly recommended to your Xian travel.
