鼓楼博物馆 — Attraction in Xi'an

The Drum Tower of Xi'an located in the heart of Xi'an in Shaanxi province of China, along with the Bell Tower is a symbol of the city. Erected in 1380 during the early Ming Dynasty, it stands towering above the city center and offers incredible view of Xi'an.

The Drum Tower got its name from the huge drum located within the building. In contrast to the Bell Tower, where bell was stricken at dawn, drum was beat at sunset to indicate the end of the day.

On the Drum Tower's first floor, lies a hall which hangs many large drums. Each was decorated with intrinsic and beautiful Chinese writing, which symbolizes good fortune. The impressive arrays of drums are only on show and visitors are not allowed to touch any of them. But there is an extra drum near the front entrance where visitors can pose for pictures for a small fee.

Inside the Drum Tower there is also a drum museum, where a variety of drums are on display, some of which can be dated back thousands of years. There is a drum show performed here every day. The top of the tower commands a panoramic view...

Take the subway to the bell tower first, buy the joint ticket, see the bell tower, then come to the drum tower about 10 minutes walking distance. It's pretty light on information. Even if you come with a guide, the background of these two towers is relatively sparse in comparison to the terracotta warriors or even the wild goose pagoda. If you have 90 minutes to kill and are already in the area, you can do both towers within that time. It costs 50 rmb for a joint drum/tower ticket otherwise it's 30 rmb a piece. In hindsight, I think another 90 minutes in the Shaanxi history museum would have been a better use of time. You could lump it into dinner at the Muslim market since it's bordering...

I visited this place with my girlfriend later in the evening. It was exactly what all the books, and internet said it was. I had a great time, and I was able to see a lot of the city. I took a lot of pictures of the skyline of the city. At the time it was in shrouded by fog so the lights of the city were reflecting up into the sky. I'm not a poetic person, but the scene was surreal. I would definitely recommend it for everybody to see. It was also quite romantic, if...