Beijing - Xian, China May 2017 - Beijing Bell Tower
The Bell Tower is about a 10 min. walk from the Beijing Downtown Backpackers hostel.
The bell tower is located on Di'anmen Outer Street, Dongcheng District of Beijing It was first built in the ninth year of Zhiyuan (1272 AD) as the central court of the Wan Ning Temple in the Yuan Dynasty, but was destroyed in the war. It was rebuilt in 1420 AD during the Ming Dynasty as a bell tower, but unfortunately it was destroyed again. It was reconstructed in Qianlong in the 10th year (1745 AD) of the Qing Dynasty and was finished two years later, having been built in a brick masonry structure to prevent a fire.A huge copper bell is hanging at the top of Beijing Bell Tower called "the King of Ancient Bells". The sound it makes is bright, mellow and powerful,
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 
