Bell Tower of Xi'an, Bell tower in Xi'an, China

The Bell Tower of Xi'an is a 36-meter-tall structure of brick and timber with green glazed roof tiles and intricate wooden framework. The building stands at the intersection of four main streets and houses bronze bells from the Tang Dynasty.

The structure was built in 1384 during the Ming Dynasty and relocated 1,000 meters to its current location in 1582. This remarkable move preserved the building's original architectural integrity completely.

The tower's name comes from its role in keeping time: bells marked the hours for the walled city before clocks were common. Its doors and windows carry carved reliefs illustrating Ming- and Qing-era stories, eight panels per door leaf, among them Mulan joining the army and Boya playing the qin. Three stone inscriptions set into the first-floor west wall record the 1582 move east and later repairs.

The tower is easily reached by subway with underground passages connecting to the central location. Visitors should allow time to explore the interior spaces, as the structure has multiple levels offering different views.

The 1582 relocation kept the original timber structure: only the pedestal was rebuilt, which is why the move cost little and went quickly. The censor Gong Yuxian recorded the project in his poem "Ode to the Bell Tower Relocating East".