Bell Tower of Xi'an

Bell Tower of Xi'an
西安钟楼
Map
General information
LocationXi'an, Shaanxi, China
Completed1384
The jingyun bell, cast in 711 during the Tang Dynasty, 247 cm high and 6,500 kg.
Bell Tower, Xi'an. 2011

The Bell Tower of Xi'an (simplified Chinese: 西安钟楼; traditional Chinese: 西安鐘樓; pinyin: Xī'ān Zhōnglóu), built in 1384 during the early Ming Dynasty, is a symbol of the city of Xi'an and one of the grandest of its kind in China. The Bell Tower also contains several large bronze-cast bells from the Tang Dynasty. The tower base is square and it covers an area of 1,377 m2 (14,820 sq ft). The tower is a brick and timber structure and close to 40 m (130 ft) high. It is located in the center of Xi'an, at the intersection of the four streets of the east, west, south and north. It is the largest and most preserved one amongst the many bell towers left over from the history of China.