Travelling in Beijing Guide - Beijing Drum and Bell Tower

In Beijing, there has many historical heritage that opened to the public, one of those sites is Bell and Drum Tower where located in the north Beijing. That both towers built on 1272 but after only a few years the tower were burned down in a big fire and then rebuilt on the same site in 1297. At past, both towers were used to announce important things from the emperor and to indicate time. The people had given the signal with hit those drum or bell in both towers.

Both towers role was so important at past, because most of the time, they always used it as the signal and a reminder when enemies attack the city. The buildings had rebuilt and renovated for many times. In 1980, they were finished the last renovated and opened to the public at the same year.
Have long history behind? The towers were used from Yuan Dynasty till Ming Dynasty. This Bell and Drum Tower has already become a Chinese cultural and historical heritage and also was listed as one of the important national historical heritages by the local government.
Inside Bell Tower, there has water clock that used for giving the sign of day and night. The officer will hit the bell in the certain time and all the people in the city can hear the bell ring which matching with actual time. As the time goes by, the clock inside the tower had change become a mechanic clock. It makes the bell automatically ring in the certain time without being hit by the officer. Because the tower still have a good function and government always take a good care of them, so till now, the ring of the bell still be heard around the area.

The unique and antique architecture of the building has also be its own characteristic that will attract tourists to come visit both towers. The shape of both towers look like the Chinese house with some levels. Bell and Drum situated in the top of the level of both towers. The Drum Tower has red building and the Bell Tower has black color building. Bell Tower has 48 meters high and Bell Tower 33 meters. People say, sound of the bell can heard till tens kilometers radius.
The Bell which located in the Bell Tower made from metal with a total weight of 63 tons and the Drum Tower in total has 25 drums which the biggest reach 4 meters. Both towers opened from 9:00 am till 5:00 pm every day, with the entrance ticket about 15 to 20 RMB. Today, if visit Drum Tower Beijing, tourists can climb up for sightseeing and also able to see the city view around. Tourists can also participate in knocking the drum activity and see the drum show every day.