Beijing, China, Travel

Drum Tower and Bell Tower of Beijing, a famous cultural landmark, the quintessential Beijing

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Were it not for growing up as a native at the foot of the imperial city, if you haven’t walked through the alleys with the bustle of hawkers, if you haven’t heard morning bell and evening drum of Drum Tower and Bell Tower, you would never know before Peking became Beijing how ravishing Peking looked.

The Drum Tower was built in Yuan Dynasty, it is a full wooden structure and is nearly 50 meters high, there are three arched doors on the north and south side and two arched doors on the east and west side at the ground floor. There are steps connecting the first floor and the second floor, sixty-nine steps, which are relatively steep. On its second floor there originally were 25 drums. Among them, there were one big drum and 24 smaller drums (The big one represents a year and the 24 small drums represent 24 solar terms of China).

Located at the northern end of Di’ anmen Street, Drum Tower and Bell Tower witnessed old Beijing charm, recorded the busy traffic of this city, and experienced the chaos of war. The people in Beijing have special feelings for Drum Tower and Bell Tower. For them, the Forbidden City belongs to the emperor, and the prince’s mansion belongs to the relatives of the emperor, but the sounds of the bell in the morning and the drum in the evening belong to everyone. 25 drums are arranged around the wall surrounding one giant drum measuring two meters in diameter on the second floor of Drum Tower. At 7:00pm the drums were beaten quickly 18 times then slowly for 18 times. It was beaten in cycles until it was beaten for a total of 108 times. This announces the beginning of the night watches. The drums were beaten every two hours which not only announced the time, but also the change of the guards in the city.

Outsiders know Drum Tower and Bell Tower different from locals, or because of Liu Xinwu’s novels, Liu Xinwu’s novels show the authentic old Beijing customs.

Drum Tower and Bell Tower is a group of ancient buildings on the northern section of Beijing’s north-south central axis. For many people the layout of the old Beijing city is almost perfect, and all buildings is based on a north-south central axis in the center of the city. This central axis takes the southern end of Yongdingmen as a starting point, and passes through a collection of buildings such as Zhengyangmen, Tiananmen, Meridian Gate, the three halls in the Outer Court, the three halls of the Inner Court, Gate of Divine Prowess, Jingshan and Di’anmen, and ends at Drum Tower and Bell Tower. This drum is the only retained drum by the destruction of the Eight-Power Allied Forces in those days. The drum surface is damaged and has many knife marks.

In 2010, in a poll conducted by Time magazine in America on the Stars of Asia, Drum Tower and Bell Tower area in Beijing was listed as a place worth seeing before disappearing. Standing on Drum Tower and Bell Tower, you can see the most beautiful central axis in Beijing, Jingshan, Beihai, Shichahai, and the disappearing quadrangle dwellings in the old city.

The cruise ships are rippling with the waves in Houhai, the southern Beihai white pagoda is shining in the sunshine, The farther building is the Xinhua News Agency Building, which resembles a pen.

In ancient China people used a unit of time called Geng and the night was divided into 5 Gengs.

1st Geng at dusk was called the Xu Shi (dog) or Ding Geng was from 19:00 to 21:00

2nd Geng announced the time for to sleep was called Hai Shi (pig) from 21:00 to 23:00

3rd Geng announced the middle of the night was called Zi Shi (rat) from 23:00 to 1:00

4th Geng announced the dawn of a new day was called Chou Shi (ox) from 1:00 to 3:00

5th Geng heralded the dawn of a new day was called Yin Shi (tiger) or Liang Geng from 3:00 to 5:00

When the 1st and 5th Gengs were announced, the drums in the Drum Tower were beaten first followed by the striking of the bell in the Bell Tower. When the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Gengs were announced the Drum Tower was silent and only the bell in the Bell Tower was stuck.

Every night in Beijing when the Bell Tower sounded for the first Geng, the city gate was closed, traffic was stopped and the streets were cleared.

Every morning in Beijing when the Bell Tower sounded for the fifth Geng, the city gate was opened.

People living in Beijing relyed on morning bells to get up in the morning and relyed on evening drums to sleep in the evening whether civil and military officials or civilians.

The distance of Drum Tower and Bell Tower is about 100 meters apart. “The drum tower is in front, the red wall and yellow tiles. The bell tower is behind, the gray wall and green tiles. The drum tower is fat, and the bell tower is thin.” The Drum Tower and Bell Tower functioned as ancient Beijing’s time keepers during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. They set the pace and rhythm of daily life for everyone, from the emperor to the common citizen. The Drum tower’s drums were used to keep time at night, while the Bell Tower’s bells kept time during the day.

Coming out from Drum Tower, we go through Drum Tower and Bell Tower Square and arrive at Bell Tower. Bell Tower was built in the Yuan Dynasty and was destroyed by fire in the Ming Dynasty, it was rebuilt during the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty, to prevent from fire, the entire building adopted the beamless brick and stone arch structure. The design emphasized the function of resonation, sound amplifying and sound transmission, which boasts a unique position in Chinese bell tower architectural history.

The big bell in Bell Tower was cast in the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty. It is 7.02 meters high and weighs 63 tons. It is the earliest existing and heaviest ancient bell in China, and it can be called the king of ancient bells in China.

Standing on Drum Tower and Bell Tower, except for walking into history, and what we see is a mixed Beijing containing both old era and new era buildings. The low-ceilinged bungalows are covered entirely in the green trees of Beijing’s old city, a scene of carefree life spreads out before us. The streets are busy and row upon row of tall buildings are everywhere in the new district in Beijing, we enjoy the fast pace of urban life, as time go by, every moment we are in progress. The western three oval buildings is Xihuan Square, Beijing Zoo, Exhibition hall, and Planetarium are all nearby.

The bell and drums keep track of the time, and time and tide tell the history. They silently look down at everything in front of them and witness each change as it takes place in the city.

Drum Tower and Bell Tower still stand and continually welcome the next moment, the next day, the next month, the next year, and the next generation.

Beijing, China, Travel

Simatai, the place to retain complete Ming Dynasty Great Wall in original appearance

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The history of the great wall building began in the Spring-autumn and Warring States Period and lasted to Ming Dynasty. The wall has been two thousand years and witnessed too many stories and legends —— the autocratic emperor pursued everlasting rule, the officers and soldiers died in the bloody battle, the masses had no means to live inside and outside the Great Wall…… in the long years, the Great Wall is an epic, war and peace is its footnote.

Compared with different dynasties Great Wall, the longest Ming Dynasty Great Wall is the best quality and takes the longest time. Ming Dynasty Great Wall is nearly 10,000 miles, from Tiger Mountain in Liaoning Province to Jiayuguan in Gansu Province. Badaling section of the great wall and Mutianyu section of the great wall are famous in Beijing, but the only one that retains the original appearance of the Ming Great Wall is Simatai Great Wall in Gubeikou Town.

Simatai Great Wall was built in the early years of the Ming Dynasty, it was strengthened by Jizhen Chief General Qi Jiguang and Governor Tan Lun, Simatai Great Wall and turned into its current scale. Simatai Great Wall is built on steep mountains and is famous for its strangeness, uniqueness and danger.

The British ‘Times’ praised it as “the top of 25 must-see scenic spots in the world”. Professor Luo Zhewen, a well-known Great Wall expert, also praised it: “The Great Wall of China is the ultimate ten manmade wonders in the world, and Simatai Great Wall is the essence of the whole Great Wall in China.”

Simatai Great Wall is 5.4 kilometers long and has 35 watchtowers. The wall is full of ups and downs, the wall connection to each watchtower is represented by a wide variety of forms. Simatai Great Wall can give a feeling of solid and steady, it is extremely rare in the whole Great Wall.

The steps beneath our feet are not level, and traces of the wind and rain are faintly visible. Damage and motley, every stairway records the war-ridden years, moreover each step people step on here seems to have a historical story.

Under the blue sky and white clouds, the warfare in those days is revealed by the weather-worn and klunky ancient Great Wall. Shining spears and armoured horses have become the past, nowadays the Great Wall has already been transformed into a tourist attraction where Chinese people will visit once in their lives. It is a symbol of the Chinese nation, a testimony to a period of history, and a legend of black brick stacking.

Throughout history, the Ming Dynasty was the longest dynasty of constructing Great Wall, and was also the dynasty of self-seclusion. There is always a feeling that the Great Wall is a protection or a guard, but it also represents a certain kind of closure and unconfidence from a sideways perspective. For thousands of years, the genuine deterrence and resistance have never been the thick wall.

For thousands of years, inside and outside the Great Wall, flames of war and smoke of gunpowder, the cracked wall is filled by glory and vicissitudes. The continuous Simatai Great Wall gives a dismal beauty in the sunset, a thousand of year, as if a moment. Looking through the beacon tower, I see the lush green mountains, difficult terrain. The klunky Great Wall mutely records the past under blue sky and white clouds.

It’s getting dark. Hidden among the trees and hills, the great wall in the twilight is full of unknown and imagination and attract people to check it out.

The lighting setups make the weather-worn great wall more tender feelings. Nearby, the lights of Beijing city are all on. There is a family behind every lamp, the lights in this city seem to be the little happiness of countless families.

Under a bright moon, the tourists wander on the well-lighted snaking Great Wall, the mysterious mountains in the dark stumble into everyone’s heart.

Did the officers and soldiers garrisoned the border town ever think China after a thousand years? There is no war, China does not require the wall to defend its towns and villages, all that’s simply the guard and contribution of ordinary people, the years have never been so fine.

Beijing, Travel

Jingshan Park, the royal garden to overlook the Forbidden City

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Jingshan Park is an imperial park. The focal point is the artificial hill Jingshan. Formerly a private imperial garden attached to the grounds of the Forbidden City, the grounds were opened to the public in 1928. The park was formally established in 1949. The park stands on the central point of the south-north axis of the city and faces the north gate of the Forbidden City. Looking from the peak, the visitor is able to get a full and clear view of the Forbidden City.

The artificial hill Jingshan has a different meaning to beijing city, the 45.7-meter high artificial hill was constructed in the Yongle era of the Ming dynasty entirely from the soil excavated in forming the moats of the Imperial Palace and nearby canals. All of this material was moved by manual labor and animal power. Jingshan Hill was originally named Wansui Hill (Long Live Hill).

The Chongzhen Emperor, the last ruler of the Ming dynasty, committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree in Jingshan in 1644 after Beijing fell to Li Zicheng’s rebel forces.

Jingshan Hill consists of five individual peaks, and on the top of each peak there lies an elaborate pavilion. These pavilions were used by officials for gathering and leisure purposes.

At Wanchun Pavilion, The Forbidden City is in sight. Nowadays new Jingshan Street between Jingshan Park and Shenwu Gate of the Forbidden City is a sea of people and traffic, however, if you go back to the Ming and Qing Dynasties, here was the forbidden area of the imperial palace. A gate separated the royal family from the civilian.

The Emperor Kangxi also climbed up to the top of Jingshan, he looked around the surrounding scenery and wrote a poem about Jingshan.

Overlooking the city, you will feel that Beijing is full of wonder. Here there are not only many simple ordinary courtyards, but also some glorious palaces; here there are not only many modern high-rise buildings, but also some the former dynasty ancient buildings. Time is brewing and fermenting in a city, it gives off an addictive taste.

Viewed from Jingshan, the White Dagoba is still beautiful. Her beauty does not show off and comes from simple and unadorned temperament. It was so then, and it remains so today.

on the central north-south axis, we can see Drum Tower in the distance, from the red walls and golden roof tiles to the high-rise buildings, various building types form a complete Beijing’s historical context before our eyes.

There is also a Guandi Temple on the north side of the east gate of Jingshan Park, it is often overlooked by many tourists who come here. The Guandi Temple was built in the Ming Dynasty, also known as Huguo Zhongyi Temple. There are two courtyards arranged on the axis, dedicated to the Divus Guan (“Guandi”) and the True Warrior Great Deity (“Zhenwudadi”) respectively. The entire exhibition aims to highlight the spiritual connotation of Guan Yu‘s loyalty and bravery, and showcases the excellent traditional Chinese culture.

Compared with the opposite Forbidden City and the nearby Beihai, Jingshan is inconspicuous. But if you come to Beijing, you must go to Jingshan, otherwise, you never know how beautiful the scenery of Beijing is.

Beijing, Travel

The Palace Museum Clock Museum

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The Forbidden City, which spans the Ming and Qing dynasties and has a history of 600 years, is a priceless place. It collects more than 1.8 million precious cultural relics, such as “Ping Fu Tie” and “Along the River During the Qingming Festival”. Among the vast majority of collections, the clocks and watches are imported from the Western world, they were brought to China imperial court by the missionary Matteo Ricci during the Ming Dynasty, it’s history is not long, but it is also the most exquisite and gorgeous shows of the Forbidden City.

The Clock Museum is located in Fengxian Palace, to the east of the imperial palaces in the Forbidden City. There are over 120 all kinds of watches and clocks made at home and abroad in the 18th and 19th centuries on exhibition in the museum. According to different manufacturing places, they are divided into the clocks made in the Qing Palace, the clocks made in Guangzhou, and the clocks made in foreign countries. Not to mention the manufacturing process, just from the appearance, each category has its own distinct characteristics.

The clocks made in China are mostly round-shaped, their shapes are greatly simplified, mostly decorated with gold, pearls, jade, and precious stones. The clocks shapes produced in Britain, France and other countries are mainly of western architecture and vehicles and horses due to more mature craftsmanship and complex shapes.

This copper-plated enameled folding screen clock is made in France. The whole clock is half-moon-shaped. It is very reminiscent of the magnificent and huge church built in the Renaissance. It is brightly colored and is characterized by elaborate and meticulous workmanship.

The concise furnishings and single light create a dazzled world of clocks for people. In addition to the timekeeping function, these clock have extremely high ornamental value, the figures, trees, flowers, birds and beasts are vivid and lifelike. Walking in the Clock Museum, we enjoy these clock one by one, it is inevitable to have a dazzling feeling.

The names of clocks are mostly complicated and awkward-sounding, the Clock with Flower and Bird is made in the United Kingdom. the cage was woven from glod-plated copper wire, a bird stands on the pole when caged. When the machine starts, the bird turns left or turns right, spreading its wings and shaking its tail, jumping back and forth between horizontal bars, and the sound of birds chirping loudly. With the sound of music, the inner cylinder opens in the cage, the water valve rotates inside, it resembles a waterfall. The treasure star flower at the top alternately rotates, radiating brilliant light, very gorgeous.

Time is a fascinating concept. Days and nights, time, the flight of time…there are countless words and sentences related to time. The invention of clocks allow human beings to accurately describe time and record time. These tools containing wonderful thoughts exist in people’s life in various appearances.

If you observe carefully, you will find that these clock can tell time in a variety of ways. This gilded copper man English clock, there are three horizontal clock dials that respectively represent the three main functions: hour, minute and second, one person stands in the center of each dial, the long rod in their hands acts as pointer. After winding the clock, each person on the clock dial rotates at a fixed speed, and the person on the second dial rotates the fastest. The idea for the clock is ingeniously conceived.

Imagine this: if you stand in this cleverly shaped clock, you should have a feeling of looking up at the starry sky.

Clock with a writing figure is shaped like a pavilion, it is obvious to everyone that the writing machine man is a Westerner, he kneels down on one knee, holding a corner of the table in one hand and a pen in the other. The subtlety of the whole clock is that the writing machine man can write with Chinese writing brush when the clock switch is opened.

The emperor of Qing Dynasty always insisted on the best at everything. No matter whether the home-made clocks or imported goods, accurate timekeeping, exquisite design, gorgeous colors, beautiful music, and auspicious meaning win the hearts of the emperor, and these clocks have become precious decorative furnishings. Today, the emperor was expelled from the palace, but these clocks are running as usual.

All the while, the clock is ticking, the museum seems to collect the time of the world, we have seen countless stories about time, the most gorgeous, probably.

Inner Mongolia, Travel

Inner Mongolia Museum is full of national characteristics

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Since ancient times, Inner Mongolia has been the central region of the settlement and activities of the ethnic minorities in northern China, From the Emperor Qin and the Emperor han to the Mongolian emperor Genghis Khan, from the Rong tribes, the Di tribes and the Hun tribe to the Ming Dynasty generals and the Qing Dynasty troops, these people took turns on the stage of history and left their mark on history. In the Inner Mongolia Museum, the cultural relics on display give people today a glimpse of the extraordinary experience that the grassy plain has ever had.

Inner Mongolia Museum was built in 1957. Several buildings together form the building complex of the Inner Mongolia Museum, Blue sky and green grass are two indispensable themes in Inner Mongolia.

If someone talks about the natural landscape of Inner Mongolia, between the vast sky and the boundless grassland flocks and herds grazing will naturally appear in people’s mind. Prairie charm is the most recognized charm in Inner Mongolia, plants are the elements that make up the grassland. In the museum, various plants on display are an eye opener.

Speak of the history of Inner Mongolia, what do you think of? The speeding cavalry troop，the knights riding horses and hunting eagles with bow and arrows. The bold and tough nomads are synonymous with Inner Mongolia.

The main body of the entire museum is divided into four floors, the internal space is open, the number of cultural relics in the museum is as many as 4 million. Every cultural relic and every picture recorded the lives and experiences of people at that time.

These collections are carefully placed one by one and together form a continuous time line, let the visitors who has been inside brush away the dust of history and admire the grassland culture and civilization built by the ancestors.

The magical Inner Mongolia not only gave birth to a unique nomadic culture, but also had an immeasurable impact on the agricultural civilization of the Central Plains. A variety of finely crafted ceramics and exquisitely carved jade ware are presented in front of the visitors’s eyes.

The Mongolian martial robes and bows and arrows let people as if back to the battlegrounds where the battle steeds neighed and the bows and arrows flew beyond the Great Wall.

The throne engraved with dragons is old-fashioned and still follows the wild style of ethnic minorities alone. The throne was once the seat of royal highness Dalizaya in Alashan Huoshuote Flag, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and is currently the only Zhasake dragon throne preserved in Inner Mongolia.

The golden hawk crown in the Warring States Period is one of the greatest treasures of Inner Mongolia Museum. It was unearthed in the tomb of the Huns in Ordos, Inner Mongolia. It is the only golden crown of the Huns found in China. The golden crown weighs 1394 grams, the whole golden crown is exquisitely made and make people revise their original impression of the clumsy craftsmanship of the northern nomads.

Some of them were once the treasures of the country, and some were curios for the royal family. They are either hidden in the Palace or flowed into troubled times. As time goes by, these ancient artifacts from different dynasties are displayed in the Inner Mongolia Museum. The scars are faintly discernible, with a little vicissitudes but full of mystery.

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