Xi’an Bell Tower

--- the symbol of Xian

On the busy streets in City of Xi'an, there is an ancient structure. In the ancient times, it had the mission of ringing the bell and giving the correct time to the whole city. Day-after-day, it became the symbol of Xi'an.

The Bell Tower was built in 1384, at first it lays in the center of Xi'an City. In 1582, the city went through an expansion so the location of the Bell Tower changed.

The tower base is square and it covers an area of 1,377 square meters. It is 8.6 meters high and 35.5 meters wide and built completely with green bricks. The tower is a brick and timber structure and 36 meters high.

The tower has three layers of eaves but only two stories. Inside, a staircase spirals up. The grey bricks of the square base, the dark green glazed tiles on the eaves, gold-plating on the roof and gilded color painting make the tower a colorful and dramatic masterpiece of Ming-style architecture. In addition to enhancing the beauty of the building, the three layers of eaves reduce the impact of rain on the building.

From the top the Bell Tower, visitors can get a bird's eye view of the surrounding areas and the building's brightly-decorated eaves.

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• Ancient City Wall
• Big Wild Goose Pagoda
• Great Mosque
• Famen Temple
• Forest of Steles
• Huaqing Hot Spring
• Mt. Huashan
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• Tang Dynasty Show

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