What did the Bell and Drum Tower in Beijing do in ancient times?

The bell and drum tower in Beijing mainly played the role of alarm and time telling in ancient times.

Beijing Bell and Drum Tower is located at No.9 Linzi, Zhonglouwan, Dongcheng District, Beijing. Founded in Yuan Dynasty, it is the time center of Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. The Bell Tower faces south, and all buildings are masonry structures, covering an area of about 6,000 square meters, while the Drum Tower covers an area of about 7,000 square meters, surrounded by low brick walls, with a pair of stone lions in front.

Beijing Bell and Drum Tower is an integral part of Beijing's central axis, including Beijing Drum Tower and Beijing Bell Tower. The Bell Tower was built in Yuan Dynasty 1272 and rebuilt in 1297. Destroyed by fire, it was rebuilt in Ming Dynasty 1420, and the existing building was completed in Qianlong period of Qing Dynasty 1747. The Drum Tower, formerly known as Zhengqilou, was built in Yuan Dynasty 1272 and rebuilt in 1297. Destroyed by fire, it was rebuilt in Ming Dynasty 1420, and in Jiajing period of Ming Dynasty 1539.

Bell tower design

The bell tower faces south, and the whole building is of masonry structure, covering an area of about 6,000 square meters and 47.9 meters high. The lower part is a masonry abutment, and the upper part is a building, with a height of 33 meters, black glazed tiles, green trimming and double eaves. Tickets are opened on the four sides of the platform, and the tickets are cross-shaped. There are 75 stone steps on the east side of the room, which can reach the second floor. The second floor is surrounded by battlements, with an arch on each side and a stone window on the left and right.

There is an octagonal wooden frame in the middle of the building, the length of each side of the regular four corners is 2.3m, and the length of each side of the oblique four corners is1.35m.. A big copper bell hangs on the frame. The clock is 5.4m high, 3.4m in diameter and about 1 m in top diameter. The clock knob is nearly 1 m high and weighs about 42 tons. A log with a length of 2 meters and a diameter of about 0.25 meters is hung on both sides of the clock, which is used to ring the clock.

Baidu Encyclopedia-Beijing Drum Tower and Bell Tower