Nanjing Gulou Park

Nanjing Gulou Park

Gulou Park is located on Gulou Hill in the city center, slightly west of the intersection of five major roads: Beijing East Road, Beijing West Road, Zhongshan Road, Zhongshan North Road, and Central Road. It covers an area of 3.67 hectares, with a water surface of 80 square meters and a green space ratio of 62%. Gulou Hill has an elevation of 40 meters and is an extension of the Zhongshan Mountain range. A Ming Dynasty drum tower is situated on the hill. The park is named after the tower, is a cultural relics-type park, and is under the jurisdiction of Gulou District.

The drum tower was first built in the 15th year of the Hongwu reign during the Ming Dynasty (1382). It was grand in scale and majestic in appearance, serving as the site for timekeeping by drumbeats in those days. After the Qing Dynasty took over, only the gate towers of the original structure remained. In the 23rd year of the Kangxi reign (1684), the Jiangning Prefecture erected a stele and reconstructed a building on the Ming-era drum tower foundation, renaming it the Stele Tower—hence the name “Ming Drum, Qing Stele.” In the 12th year of the Republic of China (1923), Gulou Park was established with the drum tower as its main feature. In October of the 17th year of the Republic of China (1928), the Nanjing Park Management Office was founded, and Gulou Park came under its administration. The drum tower once housed a weather observatory, later served as a temporary office for the Central Astronomical Research Institute, and was eventually vacated after the completion of the Purple Mountain Observatory. In the 19th year of the Republic of China (1930), the Gulou Park Office was established, also managing Qingliangshan and Jimingsi parks. In July of the 24th year of the Republic of China (1935), a children’s playground was built within the park. In the 26th year of the Republic of China (1937), after the Japanese invasion of Nanjing, the puppet government set up a Gulou Park Office that also managed Mochou Lake, Wutai Mountain, Qingliangshan, and street trees. In May of the 35th year of the Republic of China (1946), the Nationalist Government returned to Nanjing and established the Gulou Park Management Office.

After the liberation of Nanjing, Gulou Park was managed by the landscaping squadron of the Work Relief Corps and underwent renovation and greening. It also briefly served as a lookout post for the fire department. On August 30, 1957, the Jiangsu Provincial People's Government designated the drum tower as a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit. In 1958, the park spanned 2 hectares, including 0.8 hectares of green space and 0.5 hectares of nursery land. The Gulou Park Management Office was established, overseen by the Greening Team of the Urban Construction Branch of Gulou District, employing around 10 staff. Its responsibilities included maintaining greenery in Gulou Square and its surrounding areas, as well as arranging floral displays and greenery for major holidays. On October 1, 1959, the 10th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Gulou Park officially opened to the public.

In 1966, with the start of the Cultural Revolution, the park was closed to the public, and all staff were incorporated into the Gulou District Greening Team. The park first became the headquarters of the “Cultural Attack, Martial Defense” movement, then later served as the Civil Air Defense Command. Following the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution, most indoor cultural relics and antiques were lost, and the remaining items were severely damaged.

In 1974, with approval from the Nanjing Municipal People's Government, the Gulou Park Leadership Group was established on September 11 to oversee the park’s restoration, including the drum tower pavilion, the West Pavilion on Gulou Hill (“Lezhi Pavilion”), Gulou Square, and surrounding greenery, with 15 staff assigned. In February 1976, the base of the drum tower suffered severe collapse due to civil air defense construction, with cracks and sinking appearing from the top down on the southwest side of the base. On September 30, 1979, the restoration project of the drum tower was completed.

On October 1, 1979, Gulou Park reopened to the public. Administratively, it separated from the Gulou District Greening Team and came directly under the management of the District Urban Transport Division. The park had 19 full-time employees, 1.8 hectares of green space, and facilities such as a teahouse, food concession stand, foreign guest service desk, and photography studio. The park began generating its own income to support maintenance and development.

Scenic Area Address: Beijing West Road, Gulou District, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province

Transportation: Take bus routes 11, 11 (air-conditioned), 20, 24, etc. in Nanjing City and get off at Gulou Park Station.

Address: No. 1-1 Beijing West Road, Gulou District, Nanjing City (west side of Gulou Metro Station)

Type: Historic Building

Recommended Visiting Time: About 2 hours

Phone: 025-86635513

Opening Hours:

8:00–17:00 (Currently closed; reopening is scheduled for after the Spring Festival next year)

Ticket Information:

Free admission.

Huang Dingfeng (1830–1864), of the Zhuang ethnic group. His childhood name was Te Pang San, also known as Huang San. He was from Guixian (now Guigang). In the 29th year of the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty (1849), he joined the Triad Society and participated in the peasant uprising army led by Triad leader Zhang Jiaxiang. In the 30th year, he followed Zhang Jiaxiang in surrendering to the Qing army. In the summer of the 3rd year of the Xianfeng reign (1853), he fled from Wuhan back to Guixian, later setting up a Heroes’ Hall in Qintang Market and the Hongshun Hall in Huanglian Market, recruiting many righteous volunteers to fight against the Qing and restore the Ming. He established a mountain stronghold in Huanglian Gorge. In the summer of the 5th year, Chen Kai occupied Xunzhou (now Guiping) and established the Taiping Tianguo (Great Qing Empire), to which he responded in allegiance. He collaborated with Li Wenmao’s forces from the Taiping Tianguo to defeat local militias... More details about Huang Dingfeng ++