[2024 Nanjing Attraction] Travel Guide for Guloushimin Square (Updated Oct)

Drum Tower Square

🌌 The setting of the Bell and Drum Towers is said to have a history of over two thousand years. It was the place in ancient cities where officials observed the stars, reported the time, and announced disasters. Before the Song Dynasty, it was called the Qiao Tower, where ancient timekeeping tools such as bells, bronze pots, and water clocks were placed. Officials versed in Yin-Yang would be responsible for beating the drum to report the time, which, in conjunction with the familiar watchmen, became an important way for ancient people to know the time. 🌿 After the Yuan Dynasty made Beijing its capital (then called Dadu), independent bell and drum towers were set up in the central position. The old system of the Yuan Dynasty was followed in Nanjing city, and in the fifteenth year of the Hongwu era (1382 AD), the Bell and Drum Towers were built, which are what we refer to today as the Big Bell Pavilion and the Drum Tower. To ensure the sound of the bells and drums could spread throughout the city, the Bell and Drum Towers were generally located at higher positions. Nanjing's Bell and Drum Towers were situated on a hill in the center of the city, which is what we call Drum Tower Hill today. Due to Nanjing being the capital in the early Ming Dynasty, the scale of the Bell and Drum Towers was grand and unmatched, and the so-called 'morning bells and evening drums' became one of the 'Forty-eight Scenic Spots of Jinling'. 🌿 Now, the Nanjing Drum Tower is the absolute city center, where ancient timekeeping buildings such as the Drum Tower and the Big Bell Pavilion are located. The Drum Tower roundabout here is the intersection of five major traffic arteries of Nanjing (Central Road, North Zhongshan Road, West Beijing Road, Zhongshan Road, East Beijing Road). There is a citizens' square here—Drum Tower Square. 🌿 This is a rare large area in the center, surrounded by many tall buildings, including the once ninth tallest building in the world, Zifeng Square, as well as the Telecom Building, the Broadcasting Building, the Post Office Building, and so on. ✅ This is undoubtedly a place of tranquility amidst the hustle and bustle. There are green spaces, trees, and plant sculptures arranged by gardeners, as well as carefully planted flowers. Usually, this place is mainly for people exercising, and in the evening, there are many who dance in the square.