Yizheng Drum Tower

Yizheng Drum Tower

The Yizheng Drum Tower is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangsu Province.

Yizheng Drum Tower

The drum tower is situated at the intersection of National Day Road, East Drum Tower Road, and West Drum Tower Road in the Gulou Community, Zhenzhou Town, Yizheng City. It faces south and is built in a platform-pavilion style. The base is 26.8 meters wide, 20.9 meters deep, and 6.1 meters high, with a central arched gate. Above the base is a pavilion topped with a hip-and-gable roof, measuring three bays wide (8.2 meters) and five meters deep, with a double-eave hip-and-gable roof. The entire structure stands 14.85 meters tall and covers a site area of 518.86 square meters, with a floor space of 174.67 square meters. The drum tower was first built in the 23rd year of the Chenghua era of the Ming Dynasty (1487) and originally served as a public building for timekeeping by striking drums. In the 3rd year of the Jiajing era (1524), it was temporarily converted into the Guanwang Shrine. From its construction through the Qing Dynasty’s Guangxu era, it underwent nine major renovations, and after 1949, it was repaired four more times. Between June and September 2000, the Yizheng Municipal Government carried out a comprehensive restoration without dismantling the structure, restoring its Ming and Qing architectural appearance. The first floor is surrounded by a half-height corridor that is 2 meters deep; the second floor is encircled by a gallery 1.1 meters deep. On the north interior wall of the first floor are embedded two stone tablets from the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty: the “Drum Tower God of War Tablet Inscription” and the “Defender Li’s Locally-Erected Tablet Inscription.” The Yizheng Drum Tower is one of only three surviving ancient drum towers in Jiangsu Province, serving as a landmark historic building of Yizheng. In October 2002, it was designated as a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangsu Province.

Zhenzhou Town: Zhenzhou Town in Yizheng City boasts a long history and was historically praised as “the finest town in Huainan.” As early as four to five thousand years ago, humans inhabited this land. During the Tang and Song dynasties, it was already a renowned hub for commerce, industry, and garden culture in China. The area is rich in cultural relics and historical sites. The Tianning Pagoda, built during the Tang Dynasty, has a history of over 1,300 years; the Drum Tower was constructed in the Ming Dynasty and is one of only three surviving drum towers in the province; the Hui Ri Spring is a famous well from the Song Dynasty, where Su Dongpo once drew water to write scriptures. Located at the heart of the beautiful and fertile Yangtze River Delta, Zhenzhou Town borders the historic city of Yangzhou to the east and the golden waterway of the Yangtze River to the south… More information about Zhenzhou Town++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Jiangsu Province