Drum Tower, Xian

Drum Tower, Xian (must see)

The Xian Drum Tower is the largest among drum towers in China. It houses a drum museum where visitors can see ancient drums dating back to over a thousand years.

The Xian Drum Tower was constructed in 1380 during the reign of the Ming Dynasty. It has a base of blue bricks with a wooden tower on top. A large drum was placed in the tower and struck to signal sunset in the evening. The practice was restored in 1950 to encourage tourism. In 1996, a large drum similar to the one that was once in the tower was made from a single piece of high quality cowhide and placed in the tower.

Twenty four drums were placed in the north and south of the Drum Tower. They represent the twenty four solar systems used by the ancient Chinese to predict the changes in climate and to warn local farmers. The hall in the first floor has drums of all sizes decorated with Chinese characters depicting good luck. Visitors are not allowed to touch these drums. The drum museum displays a variety of drums used in ancient China. A drum beating performance takes place here every day. Visitors can get a spectacular view of the city of Xian from the top of the Drum Tower.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Xian. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Drum Tower on Map

Sight Name: Drum Tower
Sight Location: Xian, China (See walking tours in Xian)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Xian, China

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Create Your Own Walk in Xian

Creating your own self-guided walk in Xian is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
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Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.0 Km or 1.2 Miles