The tower has a height of 47.9 meters and with double eaves and a hip and gable roof like the Drum tower. The materials used to build the Bell Tower are brick and stone covered by black glazed tiles. The tower uses an masonry and beam free arched structure for fire prevention.

The inner part of the tower was built with a structure that enhanced the transmission and propagation of sound so the building resonated with the sound of the bell.

The first floor of the Bell Tower is a tea house with an extensive range of teas and tea drinking accessories on sale. The first floor also has private tea drinking rooms for customers. The second floor holds the ancient bronze bell and has a walk way circling the tower. The north, west and south walk ways were accessible but the east walk way was blocked. The Bell Tower provides excellent views of the nearby hutongs.

The Bell Tower’s bell is the heaviest and largest ancient bell in China with a height of 7.02 meters, a diameter of 3.4 meters, a maximum thickness of 24.5 centimeters and a weight of 63 tons. Records state that the bell could be heard by people out side the capital as far as 5 kilometers away.

Source: chinatravelgo.com