Ningbo Drum Tower, with a history of a thousand years, tells the stories of the city of Yong

In the first year of the Tang Dynasty's Changqing period (821 AD), the governor Han Cha moved the state capital from Xiaoxi Town to the mouth of the Sanjiang River, historically known as Zicheng. The south gate of Zicheng, now the Drum Tower, is a symbol of Ningbo's official establishment as a state capital and a city. It is also the only remaining ancient city tower in Ningbo and is now a key national cultural heritage site. In the old days, the Drum Tower had a water clock and a drum for timekeeping. The drum was beaten regularly to mark the time, and during wars, it was used for scouting and lookout. In the eighth year of the Northern Song Dynasty's Qingli period (1048 AD), the 27-year-old Wang Anshi came to Yinxian County as the county magistrate. That year, he climbed the Drum Tower numerous times, looking down upon the people and pondering the future of the nation's fate, writing 'The Inscription of the New Water Clock,' expressing his desire to push forward reforms with the 'unhindered and prompt' pace of the water clock; and to govern Yinxian County with the diligent spirit of timekeeping. Legend has it that Prince Kang, Zhao Gou, hid in the Ningbo Drum Tower to escape the pursuit of the Jin soldiers. After becoming Emperor Gaozong of Song, he issued an edict to posthumously honor the Drum Tower as the 'Fengguo Army Tower Divine Shrine.' During the Ming Dynasty's Wanli period, the Drum Tower was destroyed by a great fire. In the thirteenth year of the Ming Dynasty's Wanli period (1585 AD), the Drum Tower was rebuilt. Drawing on the allusion 'the sea is calm and the waves are peaceful, the vast ocean turns to dawn,' it was named Haishu Tower. Through the vicissitudes of time, the ancient city has disappeared without a trace, leaving only this Drum Tower. Later, the Zhejiang Educational Administration and two ancient stone archways were restored, as well as the remnants of the city wall and stone steles detailing the historical changes of Zicheng. Today's Drum Tower was built during the Qing Dynasty, with a Western-style bell tower added during the Republic of China period above the city tower. The lower part is in the traditional Chinese city tower style, with a three-tiered hip-and-gable roof and flying eaves at the corners. The bell tower above, however, is in the Roman style. The combination of Chinese and Western elements makes it unique. The top of the Drum Tower hangs a large copper bell. It was originally cast for the purpose of sounding fire alarms. In the event of a fire, the copper bell would ring. Different numbers of bell strikes represented different fire areas. During the Anti-Japanese War, the copper bell was also used for air raid drills and military alarms. The Drum Tower pedestrian street integrates culture and commerce, combining shopping and leisure. It not only retains the traditional commercial street style of Ningbo but also has a strong historical and cultural texture, making it one of Ningbo's popular recreational destinations. The buildings in this area, with their small green tiles and double-pitched roofs, firewalls with horse head walls, and various intricate exterior wood decorations, fully reflect the characteristics of Ningbo's southern water town. 📍Detailed address: No. 2 Gongyuan Road, Haishu District, Ningbo, Zhejiang Ticket price: Free ⏳Time reference: 1 hour