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 As in many cities or towns in China, there is a bell and drum tower in Zhangye to mark the center of this city. Also known as the Zhenyuan tower, it is located at a crossroad of four main streets - East Street, South Street, West Street, and North Street - which stretch to four different directions respectively.
The bell and drum tower in Zhangye, the biggest drum tower in the Hexi Corridor of the silk road district, was built during the Ming Dynasty (1507). The tower consists of the foundation and a three-storey pavilion. The hathpace is 32 meters wide and 9 meters high, and it is 21 meters from the bottom of the hathpace to the top of the pavilion. Some say that the tower is so high that it stretches into the clouds.
There is a decussate hole inside the foundation which points east, west, south and north and links with the four main streets. On each side of the pavilion, there is a stele which describes different nature scenes in Zhangye and its vicinity. Presently, the construction houses a massive bronze bell which is 1.3 meters high with a diameter of 1.15 meters. The bell weighs 600 kilograms and is delicately decorated. In ancient China, the bell was usually used to give the correct time or give an alarm of fire.
The bell and drum tower is one of the smaller highlights for a visit to the city. It has been considered a symbolic construction of the Zhangye old city and is a nice way to fill out a day of sight-seeing.
Admission Fee: 20 for the Bell Tower;
22 for the Drum Tower
Recommended
Time for a Visit: Half an Hour |
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