Drum Tower

Drum Tower

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

The Drum Tower is located on the Yi Gate directly south of the Guangde Prefecture Office. It was originally built in the fourth year of the Jianning era during the Northern Song Dynasty (1067) as a two-story structure. The upper level featured multiple tiers of eaves and included one drum, one horn, one bell, and one water clock, reflecting the principle of “beating the drum and sounding the horn to rouse the people, and marking the passage of time to regulate day and night.” The lower part is an arched gateway base, which stands 4.3 meters high. During the Yuan Dynasty, it was damaged in wartime, but was repaired again in the fourth year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty. It was destroyed in the wars of the late Qing Dynasty, and the drum, horn, bell, and water clock were all lost. In the 15th year of the Republic of China (1926), local gentry Zhan Jiapeng funded the reconstruction of the three-story building according to the original design. In the 26th year of the Republic of China (1937), it was heavily bombed by Japanese aircraft and almost completely destroyed, leaving only the base. In 1999, the tower was renovated and restored to its former appearance.

Speaking of this Drum Tower, one must mention one person. Quanzhou Liyuan Opera is a remnant of Southern Song Dynasty drama, and it includes a play called "Zhu Shouchang." It tells the story of Zhu Shouchang, a local official during the Song Dynasty, who learned that his birth mother had been driven out of the house when he was seven years old, and decided to resign from his post to search for her. After enduring many hardships, he was eventually reunited with her. This story was later compiled by Guo Jujing of the Yuan Dynasty into one of the "Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars" titled "Resigning Office to Search for Mother," becoming a popular text promoting filial piety. The protagonist of this story, Zhu Shouchang, was one of the builders of the Guangde Drum Tower, at the time serving as an official in Guangde.

According to the "History of the Song Dynasty," Zhu Shouchang was known for his “courage in upholding justice and his willingness to help those in need without reservation.” When he was the magistrate of Langzhou, he solved the murder case of the influential Yong Ziliang through his wisdom and was hailed as “a divine magistrate by the prefecture, and his legend continues among the people of Shu.” In the fourth year of the Jianning era of the Song Dynasty (1067), Zhu Shouchang took office in Guangde, where he found the government offices “with narrow and low gates, undecorated towers… in a state of disrepair and not up to standard.” He then led the soldiers and civilians of Guangde to “haul earth with baskets, build with spades, and shape with ropes and chisels,” resulting in the present-day “lofty and imposing tower, with layered eaves overlooking each other”—the Drum Tower.

After the completion of the Drum Tower, Zhu Shouchang wrote multiple letters to the capital and sought the assistance of Zeng Gong, one of the later Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties, to write a commemorative record. This resulted in Zeng Gong’s "Record of the Reconstruction of the Guangde Army Drum Tower." Today, as we stand before the Drum Tower, we can clearly see these inscribed words: "Drum Tower, winter of the first year of Xining era, Song Dynasty, inscribed by Zeng Gong."

“The Drum Tower is our precious historical and cultural heritage. It bears witness to the historical development of Guangde. Without it, I don’t know what we could use to demonstrate Guangde’s profound historical civilization in the future.” This is the voice of the people of Guangde. The affectionate name “Yamen Cave” has always been on the lips of the locals, and its endearing image remains deeply engraved in their hearts.

Protected area: within a 26-meter radius centered on the Drum Tower.

Construction control zone: construction is prohibited within a 26-meter red-line buffer around the Drum Tower. Within the 69-meter control zone, newly constructed buildings must not exceed the height of the Drum Tower, and buildings erected to the east and west of the Drum Tower must not be taller than the original surrounding structures.