Haikou Drum Tower

Haikou Drum Tower

Drum Tower

The Drum Tower, also known as the Civilization Tower, is situated on the southeastern side of Wenzhuang Road in Fucheng. Constructed during the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1358–1398), it was founded by Wang You, the commander of Hainan Wei, and is a triple-eaved pavilion tower. In the 17th year of the Chenghua reign (1418), Wei commander Li Tai reinforced the platform foundation, while deputy commander Tu Pei cast and installed a bronze clepsydra. Later, a night watch drum and a bronze bell were added, serving to sound alarms during wartime by ringing the bell and mark the time at night by beating the drum. After the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty, the Drum Tower suffered multiple relocations and reconstructions due to fires, earthquakes, lightning strikes, and typhoon damage. The current Drum Tower was reconstructed through donations by Wu Dian, a compiler of the Hanlin Academy, and others during the Qing Dynasty’s Qianlong era. It now consists of just a single-story pavilion and is the only relatively intact city tower remaining in Fucheng. It holds research value for studying the historical evolution of Qiongzhou Prefecture and the structural form of the ancient city walls.