In Chinese history from Ming Dynasty, each city had a bell tower and a drum tower. The bell was sounded at dawn and the drum at dusk each day in ancient time. Xian was not an exception. The Bell Tower and Drum Tower of Xi'an date back to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Atop the Bell Tower you will have a panoramic view of the Xian City; atop the Drum Tower you will have a bird's eye view of the Muslim Quarters.

The Drum Tower is located northwest of the Bell TowerXian across the Bell and Drum Tower Square. Both of them are called the 'sister buildings' or 'morning bell and dark drum'. In ancient China, especially from the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), the drums were used to signal the running of time and on occasion were used as an alarm in emergency situations.

The Drum Tower, located northwest of the Bell Tower, was originally built in 1380 during the early Ming Dynasty and renovated twice in Qing Dynasty. Drum Tower got its name because of the huge drum situated within the tower, which wasat sunset to indicate the end of the day and also used as an alarm in emergency situations. The Bell Tower was constructed in the panel structure with two storey posts. There is also a Drum Museum inside the Drum Tower, where there are a large variety of drums.

In modern times, the Drum Tower is not used as a timer any more, but there are some new attractions for visitors to enjoy. In the year of 1996, a new drum, covered by a whole piece of cowhide was given a place on the Tower. It is the biggest drum in China at present. What is more, visitors will enjoy musical performances inside it.

The Bell Tower, is a stately traditional building, that marks the geographical center of the ancient capital. From this important landmark extend East, South, West and North Streets, connecting the Tower to the East, South, West and North Gates of the City Wall of the Ming Dynasty.

The Bell Tower was constructed in 1384 during the early Ming Dynasty and it is one of the grandest in China. Structured by brick and timber, the Bell Tower was built to be as high as 40 meters with an occupation of 1,377 square meters. The Bell Tower is a masterpiece of Ming styled architectures with its three layers of eaves decorated with dark green glazed tiles and gold-plating on the roof. Gilded color paintings and beautiful engravings make the Bell Tower more stylish.

Today, Bell Tower can only be accessed from the entrance on Bei Dajie where visitors have to purchase their tickets. To the west of the Bell Tower is the Drum Tower. This is a smaller building, locateda busy street which is full of street traders and hawkers.marks the entrance to the city's Muslimisinteresting area to walk around and have a look. You will feel as if you are in a "city within a city" and the streets around this district leading to the Mosque are like a small village filled with people selling all kinds of things.