Drum Tower

Xi'an

The Drum Tower was first built in 1380, four years before the Bell Tower. It is located half a kilometer from the Bell Tower, on the edge of the Muslim district near the Great Mosque. A large battery of drums occupies the outside lower level of the wooden structure, which is set upon a monumental base. The four-character plaque under the eave was written by Emperor Qianlong to commemorate an 18th-century restoration.