Pingyang Drum Tower

Pingyang Drum Tower

The tower has a square floor plan, each side measuring 40 meters, covering an area of 1,600 square meters, with a height of 40.5 meters and corridors on all four sides. The base is entirely built of blue bricks, standing 8 meters high, with arched gateways in the north, south, east, and west, each 5 meters high and wide. The horizontal inscriptions above the four gateways read respectively: “Reaching the North to You and Bing,” “Extending South to Qin and Shu,” “Facing East towards Lei and Huo,” and “Controlling the West by the Fen and He Rivers.” The tower is sturdy and massive, with a well-proportioned structure. It features a two-story, triple-eaved, cross-shaped hip-and-gable roof pavilion, making it uniquely architectural, tall, and majestic. Ancient people described it as “rising a thousand zhang from the earth, touching the clouds and almost the sun.” Unfortunately, such an important ancient structure was destroyed in the flames of war in 1948. In 1983, the Linfen Municipal People’s Government established a Drum Tower Restoration Committee and called on citizens to raise funds for its restoration. Construction began in 1984 and the original appearance was restored in 1986.

The Pingyang Drum Tower is located in the center of Linfen city. It was first built during the Northern Song Dynasty and was renovated during the Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, yet it still retains the original architectural characteristics.

Transportation: Take a bus from Linfen Railway Station to Yaomiao Bus Station, then transfer to Bus No. 16 at Yaomiao Bus Station and get off at the Drum Tower stop.

The Linfen Pingyang Drum Tower, also known as the Dazhong Tower, is situated in the center of Linfen. Its base is square, with a perimeter of 160 meters, and the tower stands 43.76 meters tall, reaching toward the clouds and almost the sun, making it the tallest drum tower in China today.

The drum tower was first built during the Northern Wei Dynasty. The tower houses a large iron bell weighing over 2,500 kilograms, cast in the seventh year of the Mingchang era of the Jin Dynasty (1196). According to local chronicles and stone inscriptions, the Linfen Drum Tower has been rebuilt seven times throughout history; the current tower was reconstructed in 1987. The base of the Dazhong Tower features arched gateways that intersect at right angles, connecting the four main streets. Above each gateway is embedded a giant stone plaque replica based on the original carved in the 31st year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1603), inscribed respectively with “Facing East towards Lei and Huo,” “Controlling the West by the Fen and He Rivers,” “Connecting South to Qin and Shu,” and “Reaching the North to You and Bing.” On the east and west sides of the tower base are gatehouses, named “Distant View” (East) and “Cloud Ladder” (West). Entering these gatehouses and ascending the steps leads to the central platform and upper floors of the tower, offering unique views. The plaques in the Dazhong Tower's entrance hall bear inscriptions passed down from the Ming and Qing dynasties, written by notable figures including Marshal Ye Jianying and famous calligraphers and painters Qi Gong, Li Feng, Dong Shouping, Duan Yun, Shu Tong, and Zhao Puchu—truly enriching the tower's prestige. A popular local saying goes: “The Pingyang Prefecture has a grand drum tower, half of which pierces the heavens.” Known locally as the Drum Tower, the Dazhong Tower dominates Linfen city with its majestic presence. For centuries, locals have taken pride in it, while visitors have sung its praises. It truly symbolizes the ancient civilization of the capital of Emperor Yao. The tower gets its name from being located at the center of the city’s east, west, south, and north streets. Its square base covers a construction area of 1,600 square meters, with arched gateways intersecting at the center.

Above the gateways are stone-carved plaques inscribed respectively with “Facing East towards Lei and Huo,” “Controlling the West by the Fen and He Rivers,” “Connecting South to Qin and Shu,” and “Reaching the North to You and Bing.” These inscriptions, replicated from the original 1603 carvings, are vigorous and simple, summarizing the important geographical location of Pingyang Prefecture. On the east and west sides of the Dazhong Tower’s base are stone stairway gatehouses. Climbing 40 steps leads to a nearly 10-meter-high platform, where one can enter a hall, go up to the second floor, and overlook the entire city. The tower is a grand wooden structure, featuring two stories, three tiers of eaves, four levels of water drainage, and a cross-shaped hip-and-gable roof in the Ming-style architecture, with a total height of 43.75 meters. The 12 vertical pillars supporting the two-story tower are each about one meter in diameter. Visitors often exclaim, “Nothing but imperial palaces can compare!” The ceiling of the first floor is a skylight-style painted lattice board, finely decorated with traditional ethnic patterns such as a peacock spreading its tail and dragons coiling, radiant and palace-like. The second-floor beams form a caisson ceiling shaped like the Eight Trigrams, with lattice windows all around. The upper parts of the lattice windows depict over 60 ancient tales related to Emperor Yao, such as Yao seeking virtuous officials, Yu the Great taming the floods, and Xu You washing his ears—all in elegant colors and vivid brushwork. Outside the second hall is a corridor; stepping out and leaning on the railing, one can take in the full landscape of Linfen: from above, the city streets are vibrant with flowers and fruits, while the outskirts present layers of green mountains and clear waters, with fields of wheat and cotton shimmering like gold and silver. No wonder visitors often say, “Not visiting the Dazhong Tower means missing out on Linfen.” There is no definitive historical record of when the Dazhong Tower was first built. According to the “Biography of Li Chong” in the Book of the Northern History, “As banditry was rampant in Yanzhou, Li Chong ordered every village to erect a tower with a drum hanging inside. When a robbery occurred, the drums would be beaten wildly, alerting nearby villages to guard the roads. Within moments, the sound would spread for miles, leading to the quick capture of the culprits.”

“The practice of setting up towers with drums across various states began with Li Chong.” Since Li Chong was the governor of Yanzhou in the Eastern Wei Dynasty, and if the practice started in Yanzhou, Shandong, it is possible that the Pingyang, as the seat of Jizhou Prefecture, also had a drum tower built during the Northern Wei Dynasty. Historical experts suggest that the Pingyang Drum Tower was renamed the Bell Tower during the Jin Dynasty, and the current Dazhong Tower still houses a large iron bell cast in 1196. This suggests the tower was built no later than the Northern Song Dynasty. Over time, as cities developed, the function of the drum tower gradually shifted from theft prevention to timekeeping. Due to their central urban locations, drum towers also served as cultural landmarks, and thus were often repaired after destruction, becoming even more magnificent. Chronicles and stone tablets record that the Linfen Drum Tower was repaired seven times in history. After the Jin Dynasty reconstruction, the last major renovation was funded by public donations in 1933, restoring the tower to its original appearance.

In 1948, as the Chinese People’s Liberation War entered a strategic phase, military commanders besieged Linfen City. The defending forces, ignoring public opposition, forcibly demolished the tower—which had been restored just 15 years prior. From September 1984 to May 1987, Linfen City established a Drum Tower Restoration Committee and rebuilt the tower in the Ming Dynasty style, also restoring its Ming-era name—Dazhong Tower. The new gatehouse plaques mostly reused the original Ming and Qing inscriptions. On the third floor, the plaques “The Grandeur of Taihang” and “Heaven Close at Hand” on the east and south sides were personally inscribed by Marshal Ye Jianying; the west side’s “Gazing at Gushan” was written by Qi Gong, former chairman of the National Calligraphers Association; and the north side’s “Window to the Stars” was penned by renowned military calligrapher Li Feng. The four plaques on the second floor include the east side’s “Purple Air from the East,” originally a left-handed inscription by modern artist Chen Fengbiao, which was destroyed in wartime in 1949. The current version is by his nephew, famed artist Dong Shouping from Hongtong. Their works together create a celebrated tale in the calligraphy world. The west side’s “Embracing Mountains and Rivers” was written by Duan Yun, a revolutionary veteran and former deputy director of the State Planning Commission from Puxian County; the south side’s “Heaven-Earth Pavilion” is the work of master calligrapher Shu Tong; and the north side’s “Harmony in the Fields” was penned by Zhao Puchu, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, president of the Buddhist Association, and renowned calligrapher. Truly: Famous names grace the famous tower, spreading the glory of the Yao capital far and wide.

The current Dazhong Tower is a venue for displaying unearthed relics and calligraphy and paintings in Linfen. Since its completion in May 1987, the city museum has placed an iron recumbent ox, unearthed three times in history, in the center of the third-floor hall. Linfen is known as the “City of the Recumbent Ox,” historically a formidable fortress due to its defensible terrain, often contested by military strategists. This rusting iron ox has weathered centuries, silently lying within the city walls, bearing witness to battles and human suffering. Now, in this prosperous era, it emerges into the light, perched high in the tower to welcome visitors, showcasing the rich and splendid culture of the ancient Pingyang capital.