Bell and Drum Tower - China Travel

introduce

Jiuquan Bell and Drum Tower stands on a high brick pier in the center of Shizi Street in Jiuquan City. It is a three-story wooden tower-shaped building with carved beams and painted buildings, antique and majestic. There are four gates under the Drum Tower leading to the southeast and northwest, and pedestrians and vehicles can pass through. The inscriptions on the door are "North to the Desert" (Badain Jaran Desert), "South to Qilian", "East to Huayue", and "West to Yiwu" (Hami), which aptly mark the geographical location and transportation of Jiuquan. significance.

The Bell and Drum Tower was built in the Yonghe period of Emperor Mu of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (346-353 A.D.). It was the east gate of Jiuquan City (then known as Fulu County) presided over by Xie Ai, the prefect of Jiuquan County under the former Liang regime. Also known as "Qiaocheng", it is the place where the guards guard the city and patrol, tell the time, and report to the police. Today's Bell and Drum Tower, connected to the base, is a three-story wooden building with a height of 24 meters and a circumference of 112 meters. It is square, with a small top and a large bottom. Ascending the tower, you can overlook the vast desert in the north and Qilian in the south.