Bell Tower Bay Hutong

Bell Tower Bay Hutong

Bell Tower Bay Hutong is located in the northwest of the area, north of the Drum Tower, under the jurisdiction of Andingmen Subdistrict Office, and runs from north to south. It starts from the north at Doufu Pond Hutong, with two southern exits leading respectively to Drum Tower West Street and Drum Tower East Street. To the east, it connects with Caochang North Alley, and to the west, it links with Zhongku Hutong, Lingdang Hutong, and Tanggong Hutong. The total length is 757 meters, with a width of 7 meters and an asphalt surface.

Bell Tower Bay Hutong was called Bell Tower Bay in the 36th year of the Republic of China (1947), named for its location around the Bell Tower. After 1949, it became known as Bell Tower Bay Hutong. Currently, the hutong houses both the Drum Tower and the Bell Tower, which were designated as municipal-level cultural heritage sites in 1957.

The Bell Tower was originally built in the 18th year of the Yongle reign during the Ming Dynasty (1420) but was later destroyed by fire. It was rebuilt in the 10th year of the Qianlong reign during the Qing Dynasty (1747) and completed two years later. To prevent fires, all structures of the Bell Tower were reconstructed using brick and stone. The base is a high brick-and-stone platform with arched gateways on all four sides, surrounded by a low wall. Above it sits the Bell Tower itself, featuring a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof covered with black glazed tiles trimmed in green. A stele inscribed with an imperial decree by Emperor Qianlong commemorating the reconstruction of the Bell Tower stands to the south. The tower houses a bronze bell weighing approximately 63 metric tons, making it the heaviest bronze bell in China.

Andingmen Subdistrict: Andingmen Subdistrict (Andingmen Jiedao) is located in the northwest of Dongcheng District. It covers an area of 1.76 square kilometers, with a permanent population of 56,400 people (as of the end of 2006). It governs 9 communities (as of the end of 2007). The subdistrict office is located at No. 19 Fangjia Hutong, with postal code 100007. Code: 110101004: ~001 Jiaobei 1st Alley Community ~002 Beiluoguxiang Community ~003 Guozijian Community ~004 Bell Tower Bay Community ~005 Baochao South Community ~006 Wudaoying Community ~00...  Detailed information about Andingmen Subdistrict++