The bell tower is located in the center of Xi, at the intersection of four streets in the city. It is built on a square base, with brick and wood structure, three-story eaves and four corners. The total height is 36 meters, the pedestal is 8.6 meters, each side is 35.5 meters long, and the area is about 1, 377.4 square meters. There are spiraling stairs. The eaves are covered with dark green glazed tiles, the building is decorated with gold and Qi Diao beams, and the top is covered with gold-plated treasures, which is magnificent. Taking it as the center, it radiates four streets in the east, south, west and north, which are connected with the east, south, west and north gate of the Ming city wall respectively. This is the bell tower that Xi people are proud of. This is the largest and best-preserved bell tower left over from ancient China. Xi 'an was the military and political center in the northwest of Ming Dynasty, and its bell tower ranked first among similar buildings in China in terms of building scale, historical value and artistic value. Features: The Bell Tower was built in the 17th year of Hongwu (AD 1384) by Zhu Yuanzhang, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, and was named after the iron clock hanging upstairs. When it was first built, it was located at Guangji Street, facing the Drum Tower. Ming Shenzong Wanli Decade (AD 1582) was presided over by Gong Xian, the patrol ambassador, who moved the bell tower to this site. The bell tower is a typical architectural art style of Ming Dynasty, with double eaves and arches, towering roof, slightly upturned eaves, gorgeous and solemn. This square brick-wood building is 36 meters high from the ground to the roof, and consists of three parts: the base, the main building and the roof. Each side of the pedestal is 35.5 meters long and 8.6 meters high, all made of blue bricks. There is a cross-shaped ticket hole with a height of 6 meters in the middle of each side. It used to be the intersection of four streets in the southeast and northwest, and people and vehicles all passed through the ticket gate. With the development of urban construction, the ticket hole can't meet the needs of traffic flow, and now it has been closed. A circular road was built around the bell tower. The design structure of the bell tower embodies the superb wisdom of the ancient people in China. External double eaves, three drops of water resting on the top of the mountain, not only increase the aesthetic feeling of architectural modeling, but also reduce the impact of rain falling along the eaves on the building. The bucket arch at the beam end skillfully uses the mechanical principle to form a uniform load. Four vertical ridges are laid obliquely on the roof, and four sharp corners are gradually divided from the eaves to the roof, making Jinding stable and solemn. The glazed tiles upstairs are fastened with pipe tiles and fixed with copper tile river, which makes the building more stable and firm and becomes a seamless architectural art treasure. Integral Demolition: On the west wall of the second floor of the Bell Tower, there is a "Bell Tower Monument", which describes that this huge building experienced an incredible integral demolition. The Bell Tower was built in the 17th year of Hongwu in Ming Dynasty (1384). At that time, it was located at Yingfangguan, Guangji Street, north of West Street, about 1000 meters away from the current address. This position was on the central axis of Chang 'an in Tang Dynasty, and it was also the center of Chang 'an in the Five Dynasties, Song Dynasty and Yuan Dynasty. Although Chang 'an was expanded in the early Ming Dynasty, people were probably used to it at that time, and the bell tower did not adapt to the expanded urban pattern when it was first built. Two centuries later, with the eastward movement of the city center and the reconstruction of the city gate, four new streets in the east, south, west and north were formed, and the bell tower of Yingxiangguan deviated from the city center more and more. In the 10th year of Wanli in Ming Shenzong (1582), the bell tower was completely demolished under the auspices of Gong Exian, the governor of Shaanxi Province. According to the inscription, except for the reconstruction of the pedestal, the essential structure of the building is primitive, so the cost is not much and the project is rapid. Even in modern times, it is not easy to dismantle, relocate and install such a huge building. It requires not only superb construction and installation technology, but also strict and meticulous engineering organization. This special project was completed in16th century, which is really a pioneering work in the architectural history of China. There is an anecdote about a giant iron bell of Ming Dynasty in the northwest corner of the bell tower, weighing 5 tons, which was built in Chenghua period of Ming Dynasty (1465 ~ 1487). But it is much smaller than the bronze bell hanging on the bell tower earlier. Originally, the giant bell hanging on the bell tower was the "Jing Yun Bell" (now the Northern Tibet Forest Museum) which was cast during Jing Yun's reign in the Tang Dynasty. It is said that after moving to this address, although the style and size of the building have not changed, Jingyun Bell never rings. There is no alternative but to change.

Relief story: the carved doors and windows of the bell tower are exquisite and complicated, which shows the decorative art prevailing in Ming and Qing Dynasties. Appreciate the reliefs on the door leaves carefully, they will tell you many ancient anecdotes. The north gate on the first floor, from west to east, is: wandering; Mulan joined the army; Moon Hee returned to Korea; Playing the flute to attract phoenix; Red leaves inscribed poems; Studying in Ban Zhao; Bolangsha Zhu Qin; Increase the volume of sand. The first floor of the East Gate, from north to south, is: Eternal Life Hall vows; Chain instrument; Rats harass at night; Reading in the corner; Border villages stab tigers; The Goddess Chang'e flying to the moon; Dongpo title wall; Li Bai invited the bright moon. South gate on the first floor, from east to west; Wang Wen visited Xi 'an; Boya guqin; Make the finishing point; Cut the snake; Bole xiangma; Liu Yitong read this book; Shun Li Gengshan; Give the bridge to the book. West gate on the first floor, from south to north; Sit still; Li is trapped; By shooting apes; Longyou ode chicken; Yellow ears pass books; Release dolphins during the solar period; Tao Kan carries bricks. At the south gate on the second floor, from east to west, there are eight paintings of "Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea, each displaying its magical powers", which are, Zhang, Cao Guojiu, Lan Caihe, Han Xiangzi and He Xiangu in turn. At the north gate on the second floor, there are * * * eight images of "drunken immortals" from west to east, which are, Zhang, Cao Guojiu, Lan Caihe, Han Xiangzi and He Xiangu in turn. East gate on the second floor, from north to south; Go to the meeting alone; Drumming Jinshan; Mother-in-law tattoo; Meng Mu chooses its neighbors; Sub-road negative meters; Draw a dragon core; A gentle and charming skirt; Smell the chicken dancing. West gate on the second floor; From south to north, it is: writing classics for geese; Uncle Mao loves lotus flowers; Baqiao broken willow; Walking through the snow in Xun Mei; Tao Qian loves chrysanthemums; Seek seclusion; Put a crane on the lonely mountain