Bell and Drum Tower

Bell and Drum Towers is a common feature of Chinese cities. In ancient China, there was a saying “Striking the bell in the morning and playing the drum in the evening”, indicating the role of Bell and Drum Towers. The Bell and Drum Towers in Beijing is the largest and highest of its kind. For the 700 years in Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, the towers played the role of telling time for the people in the capital to live and work regularly.

The Bell and Drum Towers is a group of ancient buildings in the city’s northern end of the central axis. Initially built in 1272, the towers are now landscapes of Beijing. The Drum Tower (Gulou) is situated to the north of Di’anmen Street at the northern end of the central axis of Old Beijing. Bell Tower stands closely behind the drum tower.

Announcing Time

In ancient times, people divided a night by five ‘gengs’ (a unit of time, one geng is two hours). The first geng is called Ding Geng (19:00-21:00), the second is 21:00, the third is 23:00, the forth is 01:00, the fifth is 03:00 while 05:00 is called Liang Geng. At night, two night watchmen in the Bell and Drum towers, beaten the drum first and the bell later to indicate a geng. Usually, they only beat at Ding Geng and Liang Geng as not to disturb people’s sleeping.

The method to do this was to beat quickly for 18 times and then slowly 18 times and the ring lasts 6 rounds. The total 108 rings represented a year with 12 months, 24 solar terms and 72 hous . Hou is an ancient time unit in China. Fives days is a hou, six hous indicate a month and a year has 72 hours.

Drum Tower

With an area of 7000 square meters, the 46.7-meter-high Drum Tower is situated on a brick platform. Looking from outside, it is a two-storey building but actually, there is a blindstory between the two floors. The tower have there are three archways at the front and rear part assisted by two on the two sides and a side door in the northeast corner. The stone steps within the tower lead people to the wooden building above. Winding corridor and balustrade are set around the second floor.

Drum tower, decorated with colorful paintings inside, was first built in 1272 and undergone several reconstruction due to fire and lightning. In Qing Dynasty (1644-1912), incense was used to decide the geng. The tower was place with a principal drum and 24 assisted ones, indicating one year and 24 solar terms. Today, only the principal drum survives. It is made by a whole piece of cowhide, 1.71 meters in diameter and 2.22 meters high.

In Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), the area in front of the Drum Tower was important commercial center in Beijing due to its location behind the Forbidden City. People can still trace back its ancient prosperousness by visiting the hutongs near it.

Bell Tower

Bell Tower is 100 meters north of Drum Tower. Initially built in 1272, it was originally the central tower of former Wanning Temple. With gray walls and a green glazed roof, this two-storey and 33-meter-high edifice was also restored for several times in its history.

At the center of the tower stands an octagon bell frame hanging a big bronze bell. The 63-ton-heavy bell is 7.02 meters high and 3.4 meters in diameter, making it the largest and heaviest ancient bronze bell in China. At the time when there were no high buildings in Beijing, the sound of the bell could spread over five kilometers.

Once there was a temple near the Bell Tower, sacrificing to the daughter of a craftsman. It is said that she jumped into the smelter in order to help her father to cast the required bell within the limited time. At present, only the ruins of the temple remain.

Today, the Bell and Drum Towers have been listed as the cultural relic under state-level protection. You can take steep stairways to the top and look out over the city or enjoy the drumming performances which take place every hour.