The original Bell Tower was build in 1384 a.d. during the Ming Dynasty and was located in the Yingxiang Temple, on the west side of the present city centre. During 200 years following the construction, Xi'an city was expanding quite vastly. In 1582, it was decided that the city centre had to be moved as had the bell tower. The copper bell was kept safe in Beilin museum as the new iron bell was put in the new location.
Inside the 36 meters tall tower, there was a copper bell, named Jingyun and could be heard several kilometers away from the city centre. The bell was made in 711 (second year of Jingyun) with a weight of 6,500 kg. It is an example of the Tang Dynasty's high craftsmanship of the metallurgy.

The new iron bell, named Jinglong was crafted in the Ming Dynasty and weighs around 2,500 kg. It served its purposes for over 400 years.
Both bell's duty was to tell the time. But in the 20th century, the bell tower also had many other purposes. In the Revolution of 1911, it was used as a bureau of telephone. In the late 20's it was a cinema and a planetarium. During the Anti-Japanese War it was used as a meteorological observatory and a warning platform, even as a prison.

There is a daily imitated Qin Chime Bells Performance. These 39 bells (including Yuefu and Bianbo Bells) consist out of 7 Bo, 18 Yong and 14 Niu Bells. The music produced by these nicely decorated bells is a real treat for one's ears.

For a high fee you can have your picture taken while tolling the bell. The more times you hit the bell, the more lucky you will be. And of course for those who are lucky already, they can try on some Chinese folk costumes and strike a pose with the bell.

Ever since its establishment, the Bell Tower has become the symbol of Xi'an. As it is in the middle of the city, it's probably the most visited place in Xi'an City by tourists.

During the Han Dynasty in 194 BC, they started building a city wall around Chang'an. This wall is estimated to have been nearly 26 km in length, almost twice the length of today's wall.
With the fall of the Tang Dynasty, Chang'an was largely destroyed in 904.
In 1370 Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty ordered the restoration of the city wall. The city wall we know today, dates back from this period and is considered to be the most intact city wall in the world. Nevertheless, it is also one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world.

The wall with a height of 12 m, has a rectangular shape. Each side has a main gate and on every corner stands an imposing watchtower. Between the watchtowers, every 120 m is a smaller look out post. The main gates consist out of 3 gates: the gate tower, the arrow shooting tower and the drawbridge tower.
Along the 14 km long wall, runs a 6 m deep moat. On top is a very wide roadway, which made it easy for troops to rapidly move around.

Nowadays, you can hire a bicycle, try on some folk costumes, or just walk on it. There is even an annual international Xi'an City Wall Marathon. But because of old age and the growing number of visitors, the wall's preservation is at stake. Everywhere cracks are appearing and the drainage systems are failing. Recently they have completed the reconstruction of a missing part of the northern wall, in front of the train station.

The entrance ticket is not so cheap, but once you are on top, you can spend as much time as you want. It's a definitely must-do when you are in Xi'an.

Where there is a Bell Tower, there is a Drum Tower as well. Xi'an's Drum Tower is located a bit northwest of his sister Bell Tower. This wooden tower with a height of 34 m, was built in 1380, under emperor Hongwu's reign.  The architecture of this building is a mixture of Tang and Qing style. Worth mentioning is that no iron nail was used for construction.

As the Bell tolls for telling the time during the morning, the Drum was played in the evening. The ancient Chinese created a kind of weather calendar for agricultural production guidance. Outside on the first floor, there are 24 smaller drums, presenting the Twenty-Four Solar Terms used in that calendar. So, the Drums were not only important for telling evening time, but for the farmers too.

Inside the tower on the first floor, there is an exhibition of the Chinese drum legacy. Besides telling time, the drum is one of the oldest instruments in China. Not to mention that during war, the troops were being kept motivated by hearing the bass sounds. There are daily drum performances which give you a real taste of the powerful drums.

On the second floor is an exhibition of Chang'an Folk Cultures. Chinese shadow puppets, classical instruments and furniture can be admired there.

In 1996, a new drum, covered by a whole cowhide was given to the drum tower. This drum is the biggest one so far. The original drum used to be displayed inside the tower as well.

Again, here you can have your picture taken with one of the gigantic drums or pay 5 RMB for three strikes of good fortune.

Right under the Drum Tower, there is a tunnel connecting Xi  Dajie with the Muslim quarter. In the south, there is a big square where when the weather is good, you can see a lot people flying kites. The square is actually the roof of Xi'an's most expensive shopping mall: Shiji Jinhua or Century Qinwa..