The Sound of Xi’an

We all know it, there is a lot more to see in and around Xi'an than the Terracotta Warriors. I'm not saying you shouldn't go, it's worth a trip but hopefully not the only place you want to see when you travel to Xi'an. As an ancient capital the city has played an important role in Chinese history and when you walk around you can still see relics from early times in many parts. One interesting place to see on your Xi'an Tours are the two towers in the center, called Bell and Drum Tower which were built over 700 years ago. Especially the Bell Tower is hard to miss because it is located right in the middle and it marks the geographical center of the ancient capital. From the tower the four main roads towards the north, east, south and west extend, leading directly to the main gates of the City Wall. For that reason you can hardly miss it when you are in Xi'an because you can see it from all four directions coming from the main roads. The Drum Tower is situated west of the other tower, only a few minutes walking distance and easily accessible by underpass. The entrance fee for both towers is 40 RMB including the performances which are held every hour, always at half past in the Bell Tower and at every full hour at the Drum Tower. Only around noon and in the evening there are no performances, so mornings and afternoons are best if you'd like to see them. The performances take about 10 to 15 minutes and you can use the time while you're waiting to have a look at the exhibitions, including information on drums and their history and Chinese porcelain. You can also go up to the top on both towers for a great view, especially on the Bell Tower for its central position and from the Drum Tower you have a good view of the Muslim quarter which is located right next to it. While the bell performance includes several traditional Chinese instruments, very detailed costumes and some dancing the drum tower performance has only the drums as instruments and less artfully decorated costumes. But the drums are somewhat more impressive because the performance is louder and more action loaded. These performances imitate the "Morning Bell and Dusk Drum" dating back to the Ming Dynasty when these where used to tell the time. Thanks to advanced technologies in drum and bell production the sound could travel several miles. To see and especially here it for yourself, don't miss it on your China Tours! from China Travel Blog http://blog.chinatraveldepot.com

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