A Xi’an Landmark - Bell Tower - By: Grace Fan

The Bell Tower is situated in the heart of Xi’an city. There are four main avenues which radiate from the tower and go directly to the four gates of the city wall. The Bell Tower in Xi’an is the largest in shape and best-preserved among the ancient bell towers in China. There is a huge bell hanging on the roof of the tower which was traditionally used to wake people in city up, so the tower was called “The Bell Tower”. The tower is 36 meters high, the pedestal 8.6 meters in height and each side is 35.5 meters long, which covers an area of about 13,774 square meters.

Facing to the Drum Tower, the Bell Tower was originally built in Ming Dynasty of 1384. In 1582, supervising by Gong Xian (government official in Ming Dynasty), the whole tower was removed to a new location where the extant Bell Tower is located. The Bell Tower embodies architectural style of Ming Dynast with double upturned eaves and brackets. The whole building was made of grey bricks and tiles.

There are many legends and anecdotes passed on from ancient time. In Ming Dynasty, several earthquakes struck Guanzhong area. Then the legend appeared: There was a big underground river flowing across Xi’an city and a dragon lived in it. When the dragon swimming, the city was shook so, the earthquake happened. The Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang believed this legend story and tried to find a way to take control of the dragon. A Taoist priest suggested the Emperor to build a bell tower in the heart of the city. The voice of the bell can make the dragon scared. The Emperor accepted this suggestion and constructed the biggest tower in which the Jingyun Bell called the “First Bell in China” was removed. Interestingly, Jingyun Bell couldn’t sound well when the location of tower was changed.

The beautiful carvings on the door and window reflect the decorative art prevalent in Ming and Qing Dynasties. These carvings also tell us many anecdotes and stories of idioms.

About the Author

Grace Fan is an English editor in ChinaTours Agency. You can get detailed information on tours in China such as Beijing tours, Shanghai tours, Yangtze River Cruise, etc. For more information on destinations in China, you also can visit ChinaTourOnline.com.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Grace-Fan/93589

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