Matian Drum Tower

Matian Drum Tower

The Matian Drum Tower is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Qing Dynasty.

Located in Matian Village, Pingyang Township, Tongdao Dong Autonomous County, Hunan Province, Dong drum towers are unique in architectural art.

The Matian Drum Tower was built in the third year of the Xianfeng reign during the Qing Dynasty (1853). It stands 18.72 meters tall, 12.5 meters wide, 19.2 meters from north to south, covering an area of 240 square meters, and is a purely wooden structure with a four-cornered pyramidal roof. Its craftsmanship entirely employs mortise-and-tenon joints without any metal components.

The tower is square-shaped, with each side measuring 8.4 meters. Its facade features nine stories on each of the four corners, with the top story forming an eight-sided pyramidal roof topped with a gourd-shaped finial. In 1984, one two-story building was added to both the north and south sides of the main tower, bringing the second floor of the main tower level with the newly built elevated side towers, resulting in a rectangular layout that is symmetrical from north to south. The side towers feature hip-and-gable roofs, with their upper eaves aligned horizontally with the second floor, while the lower eaves connect to the first floor of the main tower, creating a ground-level space. The second floor serves as a stage, integrating the side towers seamlessly with the main tower, forming an impressive ensemble.

The Matian Drum Tower is a nine-tiered closely-eaved wooden structure, with the first to eighth tiers being quadrilateral and the ninth tier hexagonal. Eight eave columns rise directly to the first eave. Starting from the second eave, columns that taper inward by 0.3 meters replace the eave columns, ascending successively to the sixth eave and aligning with the tops of four central columns. The seventh, eighth, and ninth eaves successively taper inward, all supported atop the central columns. The top of the ninth tier features an eight-sided pyramidal roof crowned with a gourd-shaped finial. Inside the tower, the brackets, columns, and short columns vary in form, distributed unevenly yet harmoniously.

The exterior of the tower is adorned on each eave of every story with painted patterns of flowers, insects, and birds, featuring crisp lines and vibrant colors. On the wing corners of the first to eighth tiers, clay sculptures of symbolic auspicious and fortunate creatures such as tigers, dragons, snakes, and phoenixes are respectively molded, each with distinct expressions and lifelike appearances. The beautiful decorations and exquisite designs lend the tower an even more elegant and dignified aura. The drum tower is truly a masterpiece of Dong architectural art.

On November 20, 1996, it was designated as part of the fourth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units, with the reference number 178-100.

Pingyang Township: A township under the jurisdiction of Tongdao Dong Autonomous County. In 1951, it was transferred from Banli Township, Bazhou, Suining County to Tongdao County, initially belonging to Dulei Township, Siqu District. In 1953, it was renamed Longcheng District, then changed back to Dulei Township in 1955. In 1958, it merged with Longcheng Township to establish Longcheng Commune. In 1961, Dulei Commune was split off, becoming Dulei Commune again in 1962, and renamed Pingyang Commune in 1982. In 1984, it became Pingyang Township. Located in the southern part of the county, it is 34 kilometers from the county seat. To the south, it borders Piaoli Town and Lejiang Township of Longsheng Various Nationalities Autonomous County in Guangxi, covering an area of 19.9 square kilometers with a population of 7,000. The township government is seated in Pingyang. A highway connects to National Highway 209... More details about Pingyang Township++

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units