About 6 miles from my home and 150 yards apart, these photos are of the drum and the bell tower. They are both on the northern edge of old Peking. I tried last weekend to find them on my bike. Unknowingly, I did find them but didn't realize it. This weekend, could have been just as bad. I forgot my map at home but found it anyway. Guess, I'm a disaster with a map.
Inside the drum tower were 25 drums, the main drum and 24 other spares. The drum was used to broadcast the time to the soldiers. The drum pictured, was the main drum. It was partially destroyed in the 1900 invasion of China.
Inside the bell tower
is the bell. Constructed in the late 1200s, it burnt down and was reconstructed twice. I attended an ancient Chinese tea ceremony inside the bell tower. I'm not a tea drinker unless it's heavily spiked with sugar but I had some really fragrant jasmine tea and it was something I'll remember for a long time. Both have long, steep stairways where you can climb to the top.
