Beijing Bell Tower

The Bell Tower of Beijing is located in the northern downtown of the city, at the end of the central axis of the imperial city to the north of Di'anmen. As an ancient timepiece, the Bell Tower attracts hundreds of people to travel to witness its significance. The Bell Tower was the timepiece, together with the Drum Tower, during Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is connected with the Drum Tower to the north by a pleasant, neighborhood plaza. The 48 meters tall brick and stone Bell Tower was originally built in 1272 during the reign of Kublai Khan in Yuan Dynasty and reconstructed in 1420 in Ming Dynasty, but the present construction can date from 1747 when Emperor Qianlong undertook the reconstruction of an attractive durable stone structure in the 18th century in the Qing Dynasty. It was designed to stand out in the landscape, with a single-storied bell placed on its platform as the

largest example in China. The bell in the tower would have originally been made of iron; it was replaced by a bronze bell which is about 10 inches thick that is still in perfect condition till now. Legend has it that the bell-caster's daughter sacrificed her life in order to move the gods to bring a perfect casting and threw herself into the molten on the eve of the final casting to ensure a successful casting after a number of previous fialings. Her panic-stricken father could only recover a single embroidered slipper from the flames.The original iron bell was moved to safety at the back of the Drum Tower nearby, where it has been for 500 years. Until 1924, the bronze bell was used primarily as a timepiece that would chime out the hour at 7:00 pm every day over a distance of up to 20 kilometers. There have been many stories about the chimes of the bell, including the story mothers would tell their

children on stormy nights. The bell would emit a deep, desolate moaning sound, which is thought to sound similar to the Chinese word Xie (meaning shoe). Mothers would remind their children of legends surrounding the bell, with the phrase "Go to sleep! The Bell Tower is tolling. The Goddess who cast the Bell wants her embroidered slipper back." There's no evidence to show whether the legends are true or not, but everybody who visits the Bell Tower or has a tour here is moved by the story. There are good views from the top of the Bell Tower of the Drum Tower and over the neighborhood hutong rooftops and on a clear day the skyscrapers of downtown Beijing are also clearly visible. The Bell Tower of Beijing is a very famous tourist attraction of old Beijing. Here's some guide information of the Bell Tower of Beijing
Location: Di'anmenwai Dajie, Dongcheng District, Beijing, China       Contact number: +86 10 6401 2674          Tickets: CNY15         Opening hours: 09:00-17:00