Yongchang Bell and Drum Tower 永昌钟鼓楼

About Yongchang Bell and Drum Tower

A solid brick-faced base is pierced by passages in four directions, while a timber pavilion with multiple eaves rises above. Plaques on the different sides address the surrounding landscape and the tower’s civic role. The monument has been repaired repeatedly after earthquakes, so its present form is also a record of the town’s efforts to retain a central landmark.

The tower was begun in the early Wanli era and completed in 1587 (万历十五年). It was repaired during the Shunzhi era and again in 1767 (乾隆二十二年), but was heavily damaged in the 1927 Gulang earthquake, when parts of its timber frame cracked and the structure tilted and subsided. After 1949 the cultural heritage authorities repaired it further; it was listed as a Gansu provincial heritage site in 1981, and in 1984 the county government dismantled and rebuilt the tower over two years, largely restoring its original appearance and fitting a new cast-iron bell and drum. It was listed as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level (全国重点文物保护单位) in 2006.

The tower stands 24.5 meters tall in two parts. The square rammed-earth base, 22 meters wide and 7.2 meters high, is faced with Ming-style brick and pierced by arched passages running in the four cardinal directions; the arches carry inscribed plaques reading Daguan (大观) on the east, Yingxun (迎薰) on the south, Ningyuan (宁远) on the west and Zhenshuo (镇朔) on the north. A cast-iron bell weighing one ton sits atop the base. The timber tower above has two stories under three eaves and a hip roof, with a large drum on its ground floor.

What to look for

• The four-way arched passage through the brick-faced base.
• The timber upper pavilion, projecting eaves and directional plaques.

Location & getting there

Getting to Yongchang Bell and Drum Tower

Head to the central crossroads of Yongchang county town, where the east–west and north–south main streets meet. View the tower from the designated pedestrian approaches and check whether the upper levels admit visitors.