Drum Tower and Bell Tower of Beijing: Difference between revisions
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==History== |
==History== |
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[[File:J79384 Tienanmen 20140626-060350.78.jpg|thumb|Zhonglou & Gulou from Tiannanmen square]] |
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The Drum Tower was built in 1272 during the reign of [[Kublai Khan]], at which time it stood at the very heart of the [[Yuan dynasty|Yuan]] capital [[Khanbaliq|Dadu]]. At that time it was known as the Tower of Orderly Administration (Qizhenglou). In 1420, under the [[Yongle Emperor]] of the [[Ming dynasty]], the building was reconstructed to the east of the original site and in 1800 under the [[Jiaqing Emperor]] of the [[Qing dynasty]], large-scale renovations were carried out. Following the [[Beijing Coup]] in 1924, [[Feng Yuxiang]] removed the official status of the towers, replacing them with western time-keeping methods, and renamed the building "Mingchilou", or the "tower of clarifying shame". Objects related to the [[Eight-Nation Alliance]]'s invasion of [[Beijing]] and later the May 30 Massacre of 1925 were put on display, turning the towers into a museum. The upper story of the building currently serves as the People's Cultural Hall of the [[Dongcheng District, Beijing|East City District]]. |
The Drum Tower was built in 1272 during the reign of [[Kublai Khan]], at which time it stood at the very heart of the [[Yuan dynasty|Yuan]] capital [[Khanbaliq|Dadu]]. At that time it was known as the Tower of Orderly Administration (Qizhenglou). In 1420, under the [[Yongle Emperor]] of the [[Ming dynasty]], the building was reconstructed to the east of the original site and in 1800 under the [[Jiaqing Emperor]] of the [[Qing dynasty]], large-scale renovations were carried out. Following the [[Beijing Coup]] in 1924, [[Feng Yuxiang]] removed the official status of the towers, replacing them with western time-keeping methods, and renamed the building "Mingchilou", or the "tower of clarifying shame". Objects related to the [[Eight-Nation Alliance]]'s invasion of [[Beijing]] and later the May 30 Massacre of 1925 were put on display, turning the towers into a museum. The upper story of the building currently serves as the People's Cultural Hall of the [[Dongcheng District, Beijing|East City District]]. |
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Revision as of 16:26, 7 October 2017
Gulou (Chinese: 鼓楼; pinyin: Gǔlóu), or Drum Tower of Beijing, is situated at the northern end of the central axis of the Inner City to the north of Di'anmen Street. Originally built for musical reasons, it was later used to announce the time and is now a tourist attraction.
Zhonglou (Chinese: 钟楼; pinyin: Zhōnglóu), or Bell Tower of Beijing, stands closely behind the drum tower. Together, the Bell Tower and Drum Tower have panoramic views over central Beijing and before the modern era, they both dominated Beijing's ancient skyline.
Function
Bells and drums were musical instruments in ancient China. Later they were used by government and communities to announce the time. The Bell and Drum towers were central to official timekeeping in China in the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.
The Bell and Drum Towers continued to function as the official timepiece of Beijing until 1924, when the Beijing Coup led to the expulsion of Puyi, the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty, from the Forbidden City, and the adoption of western-styled clockwork for official time-keeping.
History
The Drum Tower was built in 1272 during the reign of Kublai Khan, at which time it stood at the very heart of the Yuan capital Dadu. At that time it was known as the Tower of Orderly Administration (Qizhenglou). In 1420, under the Yongle Emperor of the Ming dynasty, the building was reconstructed to the east of the original site and in 1800 under the Jiaqing Emperor of the Qing dynasty, large-scale renovations were carried out. Following the Beijing Coup in 1924, Feng Yuxiang removed the official status of the towers, replacing them with western time-keeping methods, and renamed the building "Mingchilou", or the "tower of clarifying shame". Objects related to the Eight-Nation Alliance's invasion of Beijing and later the May 30 Massacre of 1925 were put on display, turning the towers into a museum. The upper story of the building currently serves as the People's Cultural Hall of the East City District.
In the 1980s, after much repair, the Bell and Drum Towers were opened to tourists.
Architecture
The Drum Tower is a two-story building made of wood with a height of 47 metres (154 ft). In [when?] the upper story of the building housed 24 drums, of which only one survives. New drums had been build to replace them. Nearby stands the Bell Tower, a 33-metre-high (108 ft) edifice with gray walls and a green glazed roof.
Gallery
Drum Tower
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The Drum tower close-up -
The Drum tower -
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Waterclocks inside the Drum tower
Bell Tower
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The Bell Tower -
A giant Ming Dynasty bronze bell inside the Bell Tower -
The Bell Tower, viewed from the Drum Tower -
View from top of the Bell Tower
See also
External links
- Chinaguide.com: The Beijing Drum Tower — 360-degree virtual tour and photographs.
- Kinabaloo.com: The Drum and Bell Towers in Beijing — 30 high quality photographs.