The Drum Tower of Xi'an stands at the intersection of the old city's two main axes, a few hundred metres west of the Bell Tower. It was built in 1380, early in the Ming dynasty, on a large brick base pierced by two arched passages, with a two-storey timber hall on top and a triple-eaved roof. It is the largest drum tower surviving in China.
What it was for
The tower was part of the city's timekeeping system. Drums were beaten at dusk to mark the closing of the gates and the beginning of the night curfew, and again in the morning to announce their reopening, with a prescribed pattern for each hour. Together with the Bell Tower, which rang to mark the start of the day, it gave the whole city a common clock at a time when few people owned one. The system fell out of use in the twentieth century but the buildings remained.
What you can see
The chamber in the base now holds a collection of drums, including a very large drum made for the tower, and displays on drum-making and on the history of the city's bell and drum system. Upstairs is a hall of drums from across China and beyond, with examples from several provinces and a number of different ethnic traditions, each with notes on its construction and use. Short drumming performances are given at intervals through the day, and the sound in the enclosed hall is considerable.
The view
Because the tower sits on the main north-south and east-west crossing of the old city, the upper gallery gives one of the best free views in Xi'an. Looking south you see the Bell Tower and beyond it the South Gate; looking north you look straight up the old street towards the Muslim Quarter. In the evening the two towers are lit and the traffic circles around them, which is the image most visitors take home from Xi'an.
Visiting
The tower is a short walk from the Bell Tower station on Line 2, or from Yongningmen to the south. It is open daily with a modest ticket, and a combined ticket with the Bell Tower is usually better value. Allow forty-five minutes. In the evenings the square between the two towers fills with crowds for the lighting, so go earlier if you want to look at the exhibits in peace.
