Bell Tower of Xi'an
Ming-dynasty timber tower at a four-way crossroads, ringed by bustling noodle and snack stalls.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to the Bell Tower of Xi'an tells the story of a Tang-dynasty bronze bell cast in 711, hung inside the tower's top chamber when the Ming dynasty built it in 1384 to sound the hours across the city. It follows the whole wooden structure as it was hauled bodily to this crossroads in 1582 so the bell's voice could carry into every quarter, and the problem that turned up once it was in place. You'll hear what a provincial governor named Zhang Wei did about it decades later, and where the original bell ended up. Walk northwest toward Beiyuanmen and Xiyangshi to hear what fills the crossroads instead.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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