"Drums and bells resound, demonstrating the splendor of the imperial capital." (A line from the poem "登齐政楼" by Zhang Xian, a Yuan Dynasty poet) At the northern end of Beijing's central axis stand two ancient buildings - the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower.

Evening drums, morning bells, once represented the oldest and most authentic Beijing time. Since ancient times, Chinese ancestors would beat drums and ring bells to celebrate festivals and ceremonies. The resounding bells symbolize solemnity and wisdom, while the sonorous drums symbolize great virtue and accomplishments. With the bells and drums ringing in unison, the atmosphere is grand and majestic.

The bronze bell hanging on the second floor of the Bell Tower, inscribed with "Made in the Yongle Reign of Ming Dynasty" and weighing 63 tons, is known as the "King of Ancient Bells" in China. In the 1990s, this ancient bell was restored to its traditional function of ringing on important festivals such as New Year's Day and Spring Festival.

It is recorded that the Bell and Drum Towers were first built in the Yuan Dynasty and has a history of more than 700 years. In ancient times, the melodious bell sound could even be heard in Tongzhou on clear, sunny days.

On New Year's Eve in 1990, after 66 years of silence, the Yongle Bell in the Bell Tower rang out a blessing. People of the city welcomed the first spring of the Year of the Horse in the 1990s with excitement, and looked forward to the 11th Asian Games to be held in Beijing. At 11:59 pm that night, the bell tolled, and the symphonic-like sound reverberated far into the night sky. At the same time, 54 drums on the Drum Tower, located 100 meters to the south, began to beat in unison with the bell, and the last chime of the bell coincided with the first second of the Year of the Horse. The ringing of the bell to celebrate the New Year gave the ancient bell a new meaning, evoking people’s memories of history as well as their hopes for the future.

Before the Spring Festival in 2005, experts from the Bell and Drum Towers Cultural Heritage Protection Center successfully replicated a bronze Tong Ke Lou (a kind of ancient timer) used in ancient China. On New Year's Eve that year, as the water in the bronze timer ran out, the bronze figure Nao Shen on the east side opened its arms on time and struck a pleasant-sounding cymbal. After eight beats, five drummers dressed in red robes rhythmically struck the Dinggeng Drum on the Drum Tower. Then, the large bronze bell made in the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty rang out a sonorous chime from the north side of the Bell Tower. The scene of "Louke to measure time, drum beating to set the time, and bell to tell the time" was recreated in the Bell and Drum Towers.

The central axis, spanning over 7 centuries and measuring 7.8 kilometers long, was praised by architect Liang Sicheng as "the soul and backbone of Beijing, the world's longest north-south central axis". As time changes and everything is renewed, the sounds of bells and drums converge, and history and modernity harmonize. People come here to share the civilization of the ancient capital and listen to the voices of the eras.

To make a reservation to purchase tickets, please follow the WeChat official account of Beijing Bell and Drum Towers.