Liping Jitang Drum Tower

Liping Jitang Drum Tower

The Liping Jitang Drum Tower is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Guizhou Province.

The Jitang Drum Tower is located in Jitang Village, Zhaoxing Township, Liping County, Guizhou Province, and consists of three towers. They are grand and magnificent.

Jitang is divided into an upper and a lower village, each with one drum tower, supported by twelve large fir tree trunks. The body of the tower is octagonal, while the top transforms into a four-sided pyramidal roof with multiple eaves adorned with flowers. The ground around the drum towers and the pathways of the surrounding houses are paved with cobblestones forming patterns symbolizing joy and good fortune.

The Jitang Drum Tower has a long history and has been repaired many times. It was damaged in 1966 and was voluntarily restored in 1978 by local Dong people who contributed labor and materials. The Tangming Drum Tower stands about 22 meters tall on twelve large fir pillars erected on stone bases, towering prominently in the village. The tower is supported by gradually inward-leaning beams and full-dragon pillars that hold up the overhanging eaves layer by layer, resembling a pagoda. There are no internal floorboards, leaving the interior open up to the spire. The base of the drum tower covers approximately 160 square meters, with a bluestone fire pit in the center surrounded by simple wooden benches. In front of the tower is a song plaza, beside which stands a delicate Dong opera stage, facing the drum tower. The base of the tower is square, while the upper part is octagonal, featuring nine layers of eaves and a four-sided pyramidal roof. Beneath the iron spire are decorative ruyi brackets. The eaves are covered with small blue tiles. The roof ridges are white, with upturned wing corners fitted with decorative animal ornaments such as lions, tigers, phoenixes, monkeys, rabbits, snakes, insects, and birds. The interior is also richly carved and painted. Between the first and second floors of the eaves, there is a wooden carving of “two dragons playing with a pearl,” and the main gate features a gilded plaque inscribed with “Happiness Hall,” which is strikingly bright.

In 1982, the Jitang Drum Tower was listed as a provincial-level key cultural heritage site.

Further Reading:

· First Batch of Guizhou Provincial Cultural Heritage Sites