Saturday, July 21, 2007
The Drum and Bell Towers in the distance
A Drum Tower can be found in many of China's major cities and was used to mark the hour by the beating of large drums. Beijing's Bell Tower contains a 42-ton bell that used to mark the closing of the city gates. Both of these are seen in this picture, which was taken from the pagoda at the top of Jing Shan Park, which overlooks the Forbidden City and the Drum and Bell Towers. All four of these landmarks fall in a straight line, referred to as the central meridian, which is an important aspect of Feng Shui in Chinese culture.
The view from the Drum Tower
From the Drum Tower, there was a great view of the hutongs - the one-story housing of Old Beijing - some of which are being torn down to make room for new high-rise developments.
The Drum Tower in Beijing
After climbing 69 of the steepest steps ever, I reached the inside of the Drum Tower only to discover 25 huge red Chinese drums! I also got to hear them played by 5 players...it was incredible!
Another decorative structure
I just couldn't get enough of these beautiful colors and great variety of detail...
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