The Xi’an bell tower is thus named as it has several large bronze bells dating from the Tang Dynasty. This 40 meter high brick and timber structure with a base spreading 1,377 sq meters is said to have been constructed in the late 14th century. The purpose of the tower was apparently to ring the bells from time to time to give the towns people the correct time in the mornings and also to give warning of enemy intrusions. In the old days the bell tower also had a companion drum tower whose duty it was to give the time in the afternoons. Now only the bell tower is still at work. Originally, the tower marked the centre of Xian and roads radiated from it in all directions connecting it to the entrances of the city wall. But with its expansion the tower was moved about 1,000 meters to the new geographical centre of the city which is its present location. Excepting for the base which was constructed in 1582 the other parts are from the original tower. The size of the tower indicates the importance of the city which was a strategic military outpost during the Ming Dynasty. As with many Chinese antiquities the tower has its set of legends to explain how and why it was built.
The commanding appearance of the tower is enhanced with three set of eaves although it has only two stories. This not only adds drama to the building but diffuses the impact of rain on the mainly timber structure. Additionally dark green glazed tiles, gold plating on the roof decorations, red external columns and interior paintings and engravings make it an architectural masterpiece. A staircase provides access to the top stories. Traffic was once allowed to move through the gateway at the bottom of the tower but had to be stopped because of the increasing volumes. Large red lanterns hanging from the corners of the eaves light up the tower in a soft glow at night.
The tower seems to have been put to several uses during its existence particularly during the early 20th century. First it was a telephone exchange then a cinema, a planetarium in 1928 and during the war it was a meteorological station, an observatory and even a prison. Now it houses the offices of the Shaanxi Province Cultural Preservation Unit.
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