Xi'an Bell Tower

The Xi'an Bell Tower, built in 1384 at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, is a symbol of the city of Xi'an and also one of the most imposing monuments in China. The tower is made of brick and wood, and is almost 40 meters high. Its base is square and has an area of 1,377 square meters. It contains several large bronze bells from the Tang Dynasty.

The tower is a splendid sight with its paintings in green, gold and dark blue glazed tiles. The Bell Tower has two floors and three layers of eaves. At the top you can see an amazing panoramic view of Xi'an. Solid gray bricks are supported under the tower with red pillars and dark green tiles. When illuminated at dusk, the tower shines and looks magnificent against the background of the dark blue sky.

Legend of Xi'an Bell Tower

There are many legends about the tower that give a mysterious color to this ancient structure. Among them, the legend of the Chinese totem - dragon is more interesting. They say that the Guanzhong area had earthquake during the Ming Dynasty which made many injured. Later, they learned that there was a dragon in the river that was always active and caused earthquakes. So a government official ordered blacksmiths throughout the city to make an iron chain several thousand meters long to trap the dragon and sink it into the river. He then ordered 5,000 craftsmen to repair the Bell Tower day and night so that the tower would contain the dragon. He believed that this would firmly suppress the dragon under the river, and that it would no longer be active and cause earthquakes. After the construction of the bell tower, earthquakes never happened in Xi'an again.

Features of Xi'an Bell Tower

In ancient China, cities served as military castles. In addition to building walls around the city, digging moats, and establishing a drawbridge, a bell tower was usually built in the center of the city as the heart of command. In times of peace, he gives the correct signal through the bell tower in order to affirm the time of the opening and closing of the drawbridge. During the war it was used as a city defense command.

It has now been converted into a museum with cultural relics and traditional works of art, as well as spectacular shows during the day and dazzling landscapes at night. Although the bell tower is not taken as a chronometer now, it tells its own interesting story by displaying the relics of ancient culture and works of traditional art. Some of these collections have a history of more than 1000 years. Without a doubt, the bell is a priceless construction from China.