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Beijing's Drum and Bell Towers Photo Tour
Beijing's Drum and Bell Towers Photo Tour
Located north of Coal Hill on Beijing's Imperial Road, the central axis of the city, are the magnificent Drum (Gulou) and Bell (Zhonglou) Towers. These ancient landmarks were an indispensable part of people's daily lives. The Drum and Bell Towers are built on a north south axis separated by a small bustling square which has been a flourishing commercial area for over 700 years. Each is different in appearance, and although similar in function, how they work is quite different. The Drum and Bell Towers functioned as ancient Beijing's time keepers. They set the pace and rhythm of daily life for everyone, from the emperor to the common citizen. The Drum tower's drums were used to keep time at night, while the Bell Tower's bells kept time during the day. The acoustics of the Drum and Bell Towers was so good that their drums and bells could be heard throughout the ancient city of Beijing.
Beijing's ancient Drum Tower
The Drum Tower at night
Stairs leading up to the second floor of the Drum Tower
A doorway in Beijing's Drum Tower
The second floor of the Drum Tower
Drum Performances are held every hour in the Drum Tower
A spectacular drum in the ancient Drum Tower
A Qing Dynasty drum next to its modern reproduction
Some of the 25 drums in the Drum Tower
A view of the Drum Tower from the Bell Tower
A view of the Bell Tower taken from the Drum Tower
The entrance to Beijing's ancient Bell Tower
The Bell Tower has watched over Beijing for centuries
A view of Beijing's ancient Hutongs from the Drum Tower
The staircase to the second floor of the Bell Tower
The largest bell in China in the Bell Tower
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