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The drum tower from the top of the bell tower  
   

The drum tower from the top of the bell tower

The Drum and bell towers were used to tell the time. The bell tower used in the day, and the drums at night. There is a legend that is told about the casting of the ancient bell. It is said that it took many years to cast the bell, because it was so large, and when each casting failed the emporer became more and more infuriated. At last he said that if the bell was not completed by a certain date he would sentence all the makers to death. The daughter of one of these foresaw that the final casting would fail, she also saw a vision, at the moment the bronze was at the perfect pouint, she cast herself into the bronze, and the old bronze smith, tried to stop her, but all he caught was her slipper, witholding his greif he cast the bell, and it finally succeeded. Now when the bell tolls, you can hear a faint whispering of the maiden, calling out for her slipper. - very romantic!
The Olympic City

July 18th 2008
Have been in Beijing for 1 week and it is phenomenally hot. At one point it hit 38degrees, but luckily that was not the day when the humidity was 90%. Kind of feel permanently grimey! This has however not marred any experiences of the city. Anyway, onto the city itself. An ecclectic mix of ancient culture and 21st century chic. very different to any other city I have visited before, possibly b ... read more
Asia » China » Beijing

Chinese Flag For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. A... ... read more
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