Bell Tower & Drum Tower: Xi'an's Ming Dynasty Centrepiece

The Bell Tower (钟楼, Zhōnglóu) marks the exact centre of Xi'an's walled city, the point where the two main axes cross and where Metro Lines 2 and 6 meet underground. Built in 1384 and moved to its current position in 1582, it's a 36-metre triple-eaved wooden tower on a brick platform, and it is the image most locals associate with the city. Two hundred metres northwest stands its twin, the Drum Tower (鼓楼, Gǔlóu), built in 1380. Together they kept imperial time: the bell rang at dawn, the drums at dusk.

Inside, the Bell Tower has a modest exhibition of bells and replica furniture; the Drum Tower has a long gallery of drums and stages short live percussion performances that are more fun than you'd expect. The interiors take fifteen minutes each. What you're paying for is the gallery walk — a lap of the balcony puts you above the traffic with sightlines down Xi'an's four arterial streets and across the tiled roofs of the old town.

Honest take: the ¥50 ($7) combo is fair value, but neither interior is essential, and plenty of travelers are happy to admire both from outside for free. Where they earn their keep is at night. Lit up against a dark sky, with the Drum Tower archway framing the Muslim Quarter's neon beyond, this is the most photogenic corner of central Xi'an.

Getting there: Metro Line 2 or 6 to Bell Tower (钟楼). The underground passage from the station exits directly onto both tower plazas.