Gaoqian Drum Tower

Gaoqian Drum Tower

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

The Gaoqian Drum Tower is located in Gaoqian Village, Xiajiang Town, Congjiang County. It was first built during the Yongzheng reign of the Qing Dynasty, though the exact year remains unknown. The tower faces east and covers an area of 110 square meters. Constructed with a dense-eave, 17-tiered, hexagonal pyramidal wooden structure, it stands 25 meters tall. The structure includes 18 vertical pillars—six main load-bearing pillars and twelve eave pillars—while the ground floor is laid out in a perfect hexagon with sides 4.2 meters long. The tower has 15 levels and a double roof crown; the eaves form a perfect hexagon. Each level features colored paintings depicting Dong ethnic customs on the eave panels, and the top level has bracket sets (dougong) beneath the eaves, with lattice windows installed under them. The upturned roof corners are adorned with colorful sculptures of birds and beasts, and each tier's eave panels depict scenes of Dong ethnic culture. The second and top floors of the drum tower house wooden drums covered with cowhide. The ground is paved with stone slabs and includes four fire pits, one of which is a large pit with a diameter of 1.5 meters. Railings and benches are provided for antiphonal singing and resting. A single entrance is located on the true north side, featuring clay carvings of two dragons fighting over a pearl above the door frame, and concrete lions placed beside the doorway. The main structure of the drum tower is currently well preserved.

Xiajiang Town: Xiajiang Town is located in the northwest of Congjiang County, approximately 39 kilometers from the county seat. It sits along the Duliu River, with National Highway 321 running from the northwest to the southeast along the river’s northern bank, making both land and water transport very convenient. The town covers a total land area of 282.92 square kilometers and governs 48 administrative villages, one neighborhood committee, 212 villager groups, 118 natural hamlets, and 7,222 households with a population of 31,305 (including 30,072 agricultural residents and 1,233 non-agricultural residents). The area is home to Han, Miao, Dong, Shui, Buyi, Yi, Zhuang, and Yao ethnic groups. As such, Xiajiang is not only... [Xiajiang Town Detailed Information++]

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units