Shunjiang Tower

Shunjiang Tower

Shunjiang Tower is a cultural relic protection unit of Zhejiang Province.

Walking north along the stone steps from Tongji Bridge, you will see a towering gate tower right ahead—this is Shunjiang Tower, commonly known as the Drum Tower. Built atop a 5-meter-high section of city wall, this segment is the only remaining ancient wall in Yuyao and is extremely precious. The tower and the wall form an integrated structure, further highlighting Yuyao’s simple and historic charm.

Shunjiang Tower was first built in the first year of the Yuanshi era of the Yuan Dynasty (1335), and was named after the Shun River. A water clock was installed on the tower to keep time. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was destroyed and rebuilt multiple times. In the eleventh year of the Guangxu reign in the Qing Dynasty, it was reconstructed and a large bronze bell was added, which served both as a timekeeping device and a fire alarm. As a gate tower, Shunjiang Tower commands a strategic geographical location in Yao City and was an important gateway to the ancient city of Yuyao, holding significant strategic value. During the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty, in the people’s struggle to defend their homes against Japanese pirate invasions, various instruments such as bells, drums, and cloud plates were installed on Shunjiang Tower and played a major role in the battles.

Shunjiang Tower is an outstanding example among Yuyao’s ancient architecture that employs official construction techniques, and it holds great architectural and scientific value.

Tongji Bridge and Shunjiang Tower are outstanding representatives of ancient architecture in Yuyao, showcasing the remarkable wisdom and skill of the ancient craftsmen of the region. Since ancient times, they have served as iconic landmarks of Yuyao’s ancient city, bearing witness to the city’s historical civilization and standing as a historical emblem of Yuyao.

In April 1995, Tongji Bridge and Shunjiang Tower were named by the Yuyao Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China and the People’s Government of Yuyao City as one of the first patriotic education bases in Yuyao.