Drum Tower

The rickshaw ride ended at the drum tower which, along with the bell tower, rises up out of the Hutong area and gives a commanding view. The stairs were very steep.


The tower was used to sound off the time of day in the times before anyone had clocks in their homes or business. There are 25(ish? I forgot how many) drums in all, and we got there just in time to hear them play!


After the performance, we looked around at all the different drums and artifacts. The local government kept the time using this water clock. Water was added to the top and then as it drained through the 3 vessels and into the last container a wooden stick with marks on it would float up and indicate the time.



This drum is gimungous!


The view outside from the perimeter balcony was great. In the Hutong area the houses are almost all one story, and you can see alot of trees growing in people's courtyards, seemingly out of the roofs! Some are date trees, and in the fall people climb up onto the roofs to harvest the fruit. This area is a highly prized place to live because of the relative location and all the trees make it much cooler in the summer.

Across from the drum tower you can see the bell tower.