Home Xi'an China Xi'an Hotels About
Home  ›  China  ›  Xi'an  ›  Attractions  ›  Bell Tower & Drum Tower
Xi'an · Attraction Guide

Bell Tower & Drum Tower (钟楼 鼓楼)
The heart of the ancient city, where every street converges

The Ming-era Bell Tower of 1384 stands dead-centre on the city's roundabout — the largest surviving timber bell tower in China. A few minutes away is the Drum Tower, the gateway into the Muslim Quarter. Both are at their best when the lights come on at night.

What it is

Why the Bell and Drum Towers are where Xi'an begins

Stand on the upper gallery of the Bell Tower and look down: four avenues run away from you in perfectly straight lines, due north, south, east and west. This is not a coincidence. The Bell Tower (钟楼) has marked the geographic centre of Xi'an since it was built in 1384 — the entire city grid is laid out around this axis, and every main street points directly at it. Standing here, you understand the city in a way no map quite explains.

The Bell Tower is a three-tier timber structure with triple eaves on a tall brick base, built in the early Ming dynasty and considered the largest and oldest surviving timber-frame bell tower in China. It once housed a giant bronze bell rung to mark dawn across the whole city. About 250 metres to the northwest stands the Drum Tower (鼓楼), built slightly earlier in 1380 — wider and longer, with rows of large hide drums on its upper floor that were beaten to mark nightfall. For centuries the two worked as a pair, in the phrase the Chinese still use: "morning bell, evening drum" (晨钟暮鼓).

What makes them worth your time is not only their age but their position at the centre of everything. From here you can walk to the city wall, the shopping streets, and — most usefully — straight through the back of the Drum Tower into the Muslim Quarter, the city's best street-food district. Put simply: if you arrive in Xi'an and have no idea where to start, start here. You will not go wrong.

Xi'an Bell Tower — a three-tier timber pavilion with green-tiled triple eaves on a brick base, standing at the centre of the city roundabout
The Bell Tower at the centre of Xi'an — the point all four of the city's main avenues run toward
🎫
Entry
Combined ~¥50 (~฿250)
~¥30 single tower · combined better for both
🕗
Opening hours
8.30 am–9.30 pm
Peak season · low season closes 6 pm
🚇
Metro
Bell Tower (Line 2)
Exit C comes out opposite the tower
🥁
Drum performances
~8 a day
On the Drum Tower · 10–15 min each
📐
Distance between them
~250 metres
Easy walk across the square
🌙
Best time
Late afternoon to night
Climb by day, stay for the lights
A closer look

The Bell Tower, the Drum Tower and the stories behind them

Two paired structures that show how an ancient city kept time for centuries.

What to do here

Climb the towers, hear the drums and walk into the Muslim Quarter

🧗 Climb for the city-centre view

Both towers let you climb to the upper gallery. From the Bell Tower you see the four avenues radiating out as the city's axis, with the Drum Tower clearly visible. From the Drum Tower you look down on the grey-tiled rooftops of the Muslim Quarter stretching out behind. Climbing both takes about 1 to 1.5 hours (the stairs are fairly steep but not high).

If you're short on time and have to pick one, the Drum Tower wins for the drum performances and the direct walk-through into the Muslim Quarter. The Bell Tower wins for the city-axis view and its status as Xi'an's icon. But if budget and time allow, the ¥50 combined ticket for both is the best value.

🥁 Time it to a drum performance

The drum performance on the Drum Tower is the highlight most people miss simply because they didn't check the times. There are usually about 8 a day (9.30 am–4.20 pm), each 10–15 minutes — an ensemble of drums set to a Tang-dynasty dance. When you arrive, ask staff or check the board for the next slot so you can pace your walk to catch it.

The ceremonial "morning bell, evening drum" is a symbolic performance revived since 2007 — the replica bell on the Bell Tower struck 24 times in the morning, at noon and mid-afternoon, opening with the 24 Solar Terms Drums at 6 pm. Schedules can shift by season, so confirm at the ticket office on the day.

Tip: To catch both a performance and the night lighting, start climbing around 4 pm, watch the afternoon drum slot, then linger until the lights come on at dusk before walking into the Muslim Quarter for dinner.
Xi'an Drum Tower — a wide timber tower with stacked eaves on a brick base, people walking in the plaza in front, the gateway to the Muslim Quarter
The Drum Tower — wider than the Bell Tower, with the Muslim Quarter beginning right behind it

🌙 Come at night for the lights

Both the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower are at their best once the sun goes down and the floodlights come on — the towers turn amber against a deep-blue sky, the image of Xi'an that ends up on postcards and in people's memories. The best vantage points are the Bell-Drum Tower Square between the two, and the upper floors of the malls across the roundabout, which look down on the whole Bell Tower.

In peak season the towers stay open until 9.30 pm, so you can actually be up on the gallery while the lights are on. In low season, when they close at 6 pm, the towers themselves may shut before the lighting peaks — but you can still photograph from the square below, since the external lighting stays on after the towers close.

Xi'an Bell Tower at night — the tower floodlit amber against a dark sky, traffic circling the city-centre roundabout
The Bell Tower at night, floodlit amber — the image of Xi'an most visitors carry home
Getting there

How to reach the Bell and Drum Towers

Sitting dead-centre in the city, this is the easiest place in Xi'an to reach — the metro brings you right to the entrance.

🚇
Metro Line 2
Bell Tower station (钟楼站)
Exit C comes out directly opposite the Bell Tower — the underpass connects straight to the tower base. The easiest option.
🚶
Bell Tower to Drum Tower
~250 m · ~5 min
Walk northwest across the Bell-Drum Tower Square to reach the Drum Tower
🕌
On to the Muslim Quarter
Right behind the Drum Tower
Walk through behind the Drum Tower onto Beiyuanmen Street to enter the quarter
Planning your day: The Bell and Drum Towers sit right between the city wall (South Gate) and the Muslim Quarter. The day that flows best: cycle the city wall in the morning, climb the Bell and Drum Towers in the afternoon and catch a drum performance, then walk through into the Muslim Quarter for dinner in the evening. All three are within walking distance of each other.
Where to stay

Hotels near the Bell Tower

Central addresses around the Bell Tower — walk out of the lobby to the towers, the Muslim Quarter and the city wall.

10 Best Hotels in Xi'an
Every budget and neighbourhood — with real prices and direct booking links
Read →
6 Best Luxury Hotels in Xi'an
Bell Tower views and city-wall proximity for a stay you'll remember
Read →
Xi'an City Guide
Hotels, sights, transport and everything practical in one place
Read →
Frequently asked

FAQ · The Bell and Drum Towers, practical

How much are tickets for the Bell Tower and Drum Tower in Xi'an?
A single ticket to either the Bell Tower or the Drum Tower is around ¥30 (~฿150) each. If you plan to climb both, the combined ticket at around ¥50 (~฿250) is better value than buying separately. Children under 1.2 m and seniors over 70 enter free with valid ID. Check current prices at the ticket office before buying.
What are the opening hours of the Bell Tower and Drum Tower?
In peak season (1 April–10 October) both towers open 8.30 am to 9.30 pm. In low season (11 October–31 March) they open 8.30 am to 6 pm. Last ticket sales are usually about 30 minutes before closing. If you want both the daytime atmosphere and the night-time lighting in one visit, the peak-season 9.30 pm closing is ideal.
Are there drum performances at the Drum Tower, and what times?
Yes. The Drum Tower holds several drum performances a day, typically around 9.30, 10.15, 11.00, 11.45, 14.00, 14.45, 15.30 and 16.20, each lasting 10–15 minutes — drumming set to a Tang-dynasty-style dance. Times can shift by season. There is also the ceremonial "morning bell, evening drum": the replica bell on the Bell Tower is struck 24 times at 9 am, noon and 3 pm, and the drums on the Drum Tower sound at 6 pm. Check the day's schedule at the ticket office.
Which metro line goes to the Bell Tower and Drum Tower?
Take Metro Line 2 to Bell Tower station (钟楼站); Exit C brings you out directly opposite the Bell Tower. The tower sits in the middle of a traffic roundabout, so you reach it via the underground passage that links the four street corners (the same one as the metro). The Drum Tower is only about 250 metres to the northwest — an easy walk across the Bell-Drum Tower Square — and the Muslim Quarter begins right behind it.
Is the Drum Tower the entrance to the Muslim Quarter?
Yes. Directly behind the Drum Tower is the start of Beiyuanmen Street, the main thoroughfare of the Muslim Quarter, lined with Hui street food. The most natural way to plan it is to climb the Bell Tower and Drum Tower in the late afternoon, catch a drum performance, then walk through behind the Drum Tower into the Muslim Quarter in the evening — arriving right around dinner time.
All the Best Things to See in Xi'an
The Terracotta Army, city wall, Big Wild Goose Pagoda and more — in one guide
Read →
The Great Mosque of Xi'an
A thousand-year-old Chinese-courtyard mosque hidden in the Muslim Quarter, just behind the Drum Tower
Read →
Muslim Quarter Street Food
Roujiamo, biangbiang noodles and the best things to eat in Xi'an
Read →
Klook · Xi'an tours & tickets

Terracotta Army, Mount Hua, Tang Dynasty Show — book ahead and skip the queue

Once you've walked the Bell and Drum Towers and the Muslim Quarter in town, head out the next day to the Terracotta Army, cycle the city wall, or catch the Tang Dynasty Show — book through Klook in advance and skip the ticket-office queue.

Browse Xi'an activities on Klook →
Wherebest is an affiliate partner of Klook — we may earn a commission when you book through our links, at no extra cost to you.