The Bell Tower is a landmark in the center of Xian City
While we were in Xian City we had a few hours to spare, so made our way through the underground and up to the Bell Tower. This is a land mark in the center of Xian where the city’s four main streets converge. The Xian City Bell Tower has a distinctive green three-tiered roof, built in the graceful style of Ming Dynasty architecture.
Xian City The-Bell-Tower-a three-tiered structure with green roof built in the Ming Dynasty style
The Bell Tower is a wooden structure standing on a high brick platform. It was first built in 1384, originally in a different spot a few blocks away from the current site in Xian City. The Bell Tower moved to its current site in 1582, and restored in 1739 during the Ming Dynasty.
Ancient-Iron-Bell, Xian City Bell-Tower
Xian City Bell Tower houses a fine collection of bronze bells
In Xian city for the cost of only 5 yen you may have the privilege of striking a huge bronze bell with a short heavy wooden pole at the Bell Tower. It is worth a visit to this landmark, not just to admire the classic architecture, but because the Bell Tower of Xian City also houses a fine collection of ancient artifacts, many dating from the Tang Dynasty.
Xian City Bell Tower view ancient-bronze chime-bells-&-round chairs with eight legs
There are bronze chime bells, musical instruments, ancient pottery and crafted wooden items
Bell Tower interior enameled ceiling-psychedelic center piece
A walk around the balcony of the Bell Tower provides an excellent view of the city streets and busy traffic and you realize just how modern and diverse China
View-of-Main-Street-Xian-City taken from the Bell Tower
Xian City Bell Tower and Drum Tower are lit up at night
Both the Drum and Bell Tower were clearly visible from our hotel window in Xian City. When lit up at night they are very eye-catching structures. The drum tower was built in 1380 and its interior has been recently restored. Like the Bell Tower it is a three-tiered structure. We didn’t have time to visit, but the large drum can be seen on the outside balcony.
Xian City view of Drum Tower & garden square from our room at Bell Tower Hotel
A delicious Dumpling Dinner in Xian City
There is a saying that no visit to Xian City is complete unless you have enjoyed a Chinese Dumpling Dinner
Xian City Delicious dumplings so many varieties and fillings to taste
The Restaurant was a very popular spot with locals enjoying their dinner as well as tourists. The ambiance in the restaurant was very warm and vibrant, with great service from the waiters. This proved a delicious meal of traditional Chinese dumplings
Xian City. A Dumpling Dinner not to be missed when you visit Xian City
About Lyn
That is one beautiful structure! I’m very curious though, as to how they managed to move the whole thing to another location. Would love to hear all about it on one of your future posts! 🙂
Hello Mitch, I don’t have any confirmation on this, however based on other research I suspect the building was taken down piece by piece and transported to its knew position and then put together again. I have read about this being done with different buildings in antiquity. More recently, having just come back from a trip to Cambodia where a pavilion built in Giza, Egypt, was dismantled brick by brick, shipped to Phnom Penh, and then re-erected in the grounds of the Royal Palace as a present to King Norodom I of Cambodia in 1876. New post on Cambodia coming soon! Thanks for dropping by. Lyn
Piece by piece? Wow, that is just a lot of work. I guess that’s the price of preserving something. 🙂
Thanks!