Xixian Drum Tower

Xixian Drum Tower

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

Xixian Drum Tower

Xixian Drum Tower (Fourth Batch of Provincial-Level Protected Sites)

Era: Ming Dynasty

Address: Center of Xixian County

The Xixian Drum Tower is located in Xixian County, Linfen City, at the intersection of the four main streets—east, south, west, and north. The drum tower consists of a base platform and a pavilion on top, with a total height of 20.3 meters and an area of 190 square meters. According to the "Xizhou Annals" and the inscriptions under the ridge beam stating “Chu Zhijun, Prefect of Xizhou and Directly Appointed Gentleman, commissioned in the 45th year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty,” the drum tower was built by Chu Zhijun, Prefect of Xizhou, in the 45th year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1617), and underwent renovations in the 15th year of the Shunzhi era (1638), the 15th year of the Qianlong era (1750), and the 6th year of the Xianfeng era (1865) of the Qing Dynasty. In 2002, a major restoration including dismantling and rebuilding was carried out, preserving original Ming-era components such as the beam structure and plaques.

The base platform is square-shaped, with each side measuring 13.8 meters and a height of 5.98 meters, constructed from blue bricks and coated with red paint. Below the platform is a cross-shaped arched passageway, and a staircase on the east side leads up to the upper level. The wooden pavilion on the platform is a two-story structure with double eaves and a cross-shaped hip-and-gable roof, standing 14.31 meters tall. The first floor has a square layout, with a single bay in both width and depth, surrounded by a corridor, and contains an internal wooden staircase. The eaves feature three-curved single-knuckle brackets. The second floor is similarly square, with double-eave gables on all sides, and houses horizontal inscribed boards with calligraphy reading “Sound Reaches the Clouds,” “Announcing Auspiciousness,” “Gathering of Harmony,” and “Listening to the Distant Thunder.”

The Xixian Drum Tower boasts a unique architectural design, retains original Ming Dynasty structures, and has a traceable history of renovations, making it of significant value for the study of architectural history.

In May 2013, the Xixian Drum Tower was designated as part of the Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Shanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units