Xi’an · In-depth place guide
西安钟楼 · 西安鼓楼
Where the city kept its time.
Two towers, two different silhouettes. Look beyond the night photograph to the roofs, instruments and street pattern of the Ming city — with today’s exhibition restrictions kept in view.
Read the buildings in daylight. Return for the exterior after dark if you wish.
The Bell Tower stands at the meeting of the old city’s four principal avenues; the Drum Tower is a separate building to its west. They were associated with announcing time and warning the city. Their different settings and roof forms are worth comparing.[3]
An interior ticket is not necessary for an exterior appreciation. Decide what you want from the visit before buying both towers, especially while exhibition halls are being refurbished.
Plan your visit
Before you book.
- Time to allow
- Our suggestion:1–2 flexible hours for an exterior comparison and one interior visit; longer if both open displays interest you.
- First decision
- One tower, both towers or an exterior walk. These are different visits, not a compulsory pair.
- Current opening reference
- From 11 October 2026:08:30–18:00, last check 17:30, under the museum’s September notice.
- Foreign visitors
- The latest published visitor instructions require passport information. Its concessions are explicitly for PRC citizens.
Exhibition rooms are undergoing phased work.
Room works: Bell Tower 11 October–15 November 2026; Drum Tower 1–30 November 2026. Each second-floor viewing platform remains open during its announced work period.[1]
A cheaper ticket means a different visit.
The single-tower construction ticket is CNY 15 instead of CNY 30. It does not admit visitors to closed rooms.[1]
Choose the ticket for your visit
Buy for the tower, date and open areas you actually want. A city photograph after dark is not proof that the museum still admits visitors.
Museum’s 30 September 2026 construction notice; no live stock or current combined-ticket quote.[1]
Single tower during its works
- Published reference
- CNY 15 per person instead of normal CNY 30.
- What it includes or limits
- Second-floor viewing platform remains open; interior exhibition rooms close in the tower’s announced work period.
Ordinary single tower
- Published reference
- CNY 30 is the normal reference in the same notice.
- What it includes or limits
- The museum says it returns after full exhibition reopening. Check that reopening actually happened.
Bell + Drum combined ticket
- Published reference
- Current construction-period price not independently verified.
- What it includes or limits
- Do not assume an old CNY 50 product is still the right purchase. Check both buildings and the date.
From 11 October 2026
- Published reference
- 08:30–18:00, last ticket check 17:30.
- What it includes or limits
- Later exterior lighting does not extend admission. The earlier 21:30 holiday timetable has ended.
| Product / timing | Published reference | What it includes or limits |
|---|---|---|
| Single tower during its works | CNY 15 per person instead of normal CNY 30. | Second-floor viewing platform remains open; interior exhibition rooms close in the tower’s announced work period. |
| Ordinary single tower | CNY 30 is the normal reference in the same notice. | The museum says it returns after full exhibition reopening. Check that reopening actually happened. |
| Bell + Drum combined ticket | Current construction-period price not independently verified. | Do not assume an old CNY 50 product is still the right purchase. Check both buildings and the date. |
| From 11 October 2026 | 08:30–18:00, last ticket check 17:30. | Later exterior lighting does not extend admission. The earlier 21:30 holiday timetable has ended. |
The September visitor instructions say tickets are same-day, single entry. Once either building on a combined order has been used, the order cannot be refunded.[2]
The notice’s concessions are explicitly limited to citizens of the People’s Republic of China. Do not apply the listed senior, child or student benefit automatically to an overseas passport. Ask for the actual product’s conditions.[2]
Buying with a foreign passport
The museum’s 21 September 2026 instructions name its official WeChat account and Ctrip for real-name reservations, with online tickets released 3 days ahead and foreign visitors entering passport details. These instructions were published with a holiday notice; recheck for later changes.[2]
Carry the original document used for the order and confirm the actual ticket-check procedure, required credential and time slot. We have not completed a passport purchase or verified a universal paper-versus-QR entry method.
Museum contacts: Bell Tower 029-87276420; Drum Tower 029-87278797. English telephone service is unconfirmed.[1]
Find your bearings
One city centre, two different buildings.
The Bell Tower’s compact, square plan sits at the street junction. The Drum Tower is broader and rectangular, at the southern end of Beiyuan Gate Street. The city record describes distinct roof forms rather than matching twins.[3]
Use the signed pedestrian underpass for the Bell Tower approach. The operator’s conservation-planning document describes the circular road and underground pedestrian passage; the old base arches are not a current street crossing.[10]
The orientation below is an editorial grouping, not a measured route. Match each ticket to 钟楼 or 鼓楼 and follow temporary barriers.
Bell Tower
Drum Tower
The wider view
The municipal route record dates the Drum Tower’s foundation to the early Ming.[4]
Municipal accounts date the Bell Tower to 1384 and its present location to 1582. A recent architectural study disputes the usual relocation narrative; the difference is explained below.[4][7]
The city gazetteer dates the hanging of the replica Jingyun Bell to 30 January.[5]
The heritage account records rehanging the restored Drum Tower plaques on 29 April.[8]
Phased exhibition refurbishment in autumn.[1]
A closer reading
What to look for.
Twelve closer looks, including features that can be read from outside. Historical interior photographs are context, not a promise of access during refurbishment.
Bell Tower setting
钟楼与四条大街
Four avenues, one focal point
The Bell Tower’s position turns a street junction into a civic landmark. Follow the avenues with your eye towards the old city’s gates; this is a way to read the Ming city, not an unchanged Tang-capital plan.[4]
Our suggestion: begin from a safe pedestrian position and look at how the tower holds the junction together. Use signed underground routes rather than stepping into traffic for a photograph.
Our looking suggestionCompare the tower’s height with its solid base and the much wider modern streets.
Bell Tower exterior
三重檐 · 攒尖顶
Count eaves, not apparent floors
Three projecting eaves rise towards a pyramidal roof. Glazed tiles, painted structure and bracket sets give the building much of its visual weight. The conservation-planning description identifies a timber interior above the masonry base.[10]
Our suggestion: look for the topmost outline first, then the repeated roof edges. The number of visible eaves is not a simple count of usable museum floors.
Our looking suggestionFind the bracket work where the roof meets the painted supports.
A closer architectural view
木构架 · 彩画
The structure under the colour
The city’s introduction describes crafted beams, pillars and painted bracket sets. Colour can make the building read as a surface; take a moment to see the structural relationships behind it.[3]
Look for painted supports beneath the eaves from permitted areas. The close interior view and a room exhibition are different kinds of access.
Our looking suggestionFollow a column upward towards the beams rather than looking only at decorative motifs.
Bell Tower instrument
景云钟复制品
The bell is a replica
The Bell Tower’s Jingyun Bell replica was installed in 1997, according to the city gazetteer. The Tang original was cast in 711 and entered the institution now called Xi’an Beilin Museum in 1953.[5][6]
The distinction changes how to look: the tower instrument represents the city’s sound tradition, while the original has its own collection and conservation history. Do not caption a tower photograph as the surviving 711 bronze.[6]
Our looking suggestionLook at the suspension, relief decoration and inscription without assuming every instrument you see is ancient.
Bell Tower historical interpretation
东迁记述 · 历史解释
A history with competing readings
The municipal narrative describes relocation in 1582. Architectural historian Wang Ruikun’s 2022 study argues that a new building was constructed while the earlier Yingxiang Temple tower survived. This guide records the disagreement rather than claiming a complete original tower was physically carried here.[4][7]
Our suggestion: read any displayed relocation text with its date and author in mind. An inscription, a later history and a modern interpretation do different work; today’s exhibition access remains separate.
Our looking suggestionAsk which statement comes from a contemporary record and which is a later reconstruction of events.
Drum Tower exterior
鼓楼 · 重檐歇山顶
A longer roofline
The Drum Tower stands on a rectangular masonry platform. The operator’s planning description records a seven-bay timber frontage and a hipped-gable upper roof; its broad profile differs from the Bell Tower’s compact pointed silhouette.[10]
Our suggestion: walk far enough back on a permitted pedestrian route to see the roof ends. A close-up can hide the very feature that makes the two towers different.
Our looking suggestionCompare the horizontal stretch of the Drum Tower with the Bell Tower’s upward emphasis.
Drum Tower north and south
文武盛地 · 声闻于天
Two directions, two messages
The southern plaque reads 文武盛地; the northern one 声闻于天. The original plaques were lost during the Cultural Revolution. The heritage account dates the restored versions to 29 April 2005, using traditional craft with modern lightweight materials.[8]
Attributions of the older calligraphy differ between that account and a report of municipal archive research. We do not resolve the authorship by repeating the most common travel-guide caption.[9][8]
Our looking suggestionFirst identify which face of the tower you are looking at; then read the large characters against the long roof.
Drum Tower instrument culture
节气鼓 · 大鼓
Instruments for time and season
The large drum is a modern reconstruction: the heritage account dates the decision to remake it to 1996. Its decorative studs and fittings carry modern commemorative symbolism. It is not the original Ming drum.[8]
Photographs show drums bearing the names of solar terms. Treat them as interpretation of timekeeping and seasonal culture, not a reason to assume an ancient object date or a present performance schedule.
Our looking suggestionCompare the scale of a large drum with a row of smaller drums, and read one visible seasonal name.
Access varies during works
楼内陈列
A museum inside a monument
The current access table distinguishes exhibition rooms from viewing platforms.
An old photograph of furniture, instruments, calligraphy or a gallery does not establish today’s display. If the indoor collection is your reason to visit, confirm reopening and the actual exhibition before buying.
Our looking suggestionDecide whether the platform view alone would make the visit worthwhile for you.
A conservation theme
文物保护 · 修缮
The building is continually cared for
The operator’s protection-planning brief sets out assessment, research, protective zoning and management as part of caring for the towers. A protected monument is maintained over time, not frozen at one construction date.[10]
Our suggestion: notice a roof edge, a repaired joint or the relationship of timber to masonry. Do not touch delicate surfaces or enter a roped-off area to inspect them.
Our looking suggestionLook for details that help you understand the building without needing access to every room.
Exterior appreciation
钟鼓楼夜景
The city after dark
A night photograph can make the towers seem detached from daily life. In person, the surrounding shops, traffic and pedestrian movement are part of the setting. Choose a viewpoint that allows those relationships to remain visible.
No current switch-on time, uninterrupted illumination or exact camera position is guaranteed. A commercial rooftop viewpoint has its own rules and hours. Do not assume a restaurant purchase or “free terrace” claim establishes public access.
Our looking suggestionUse a steady hand from a safe pedestrian edge; leave the roadway to traffic.
Making your own visit
一座楼 · 两座楼 · 外观
Choose what adds something
Our suggestion: if you enjoy building comparison, make the different roof forms and settings your theme. If you want a single elevated city view, one open platform may be enough. An exterior walk is also a complete choice.
A performance, an exhibition and a second tower are optional interests, not obligations. Check present access first, then spend your attention on what matters to you.
Our looking suggestionBefore buying a second ticket, say what new thing you hope to see.
Choose what matters
Make the visit yours.
For a flexible 1–2 hours
One interior visit, one exterior comparison
- Keep
- A deliberate elevated view and two different silhouettes
- The trade-off
- One tower’s room programme is omitted
Check what is open
Read the actual tower/date product and refurbishment limits.
Choose one platform
Visit the tower whose setting interests you most.
Compare outside
Use pedestrian routes to see the second roof form without making it a second paid visit.
A separate next stop
Choose food or another neighbourhood after a real pause.
Construction rooms and current performances must be checked;our timing is an estimate.
All outlines are editorial estimates, not field-tested routes. Follow current admission rules and venue directions.
Arrival, energy and interpretation
Get the details right.
Arrive at the right gate
Use 西安钟楼 for the Bell Tower and 西安鼓楼 for the Drum Tower. The museum’s administrative office is not either visitor entrance.[11]
The city introduction identifies Zhonglou / 钟楼 on Metro Line 2. Use the current operator route planner for other connections and station exits. We do not infer a direct airport train or a fixed last service.[3]
Follow the Bell Tower pedestrian underpass rather than crossing the traffic island. The municipal chronicle records the underground passage opening on 1 April 2003;current closures or accessible routes need a fresh check.[12]
Steps and mobility
Ask separately about the street-to-underpass route, lifts, platform stairs, toilet access and any staff assistance. No step-free ascent or accessible facility has been inspected for this guide.
Music and performances
The city gazetteer records historic chime performances and modern revival of the sound tradition. That history does not establish a 2026 show programme.[5]
Confirm the current performance, time, location and whether your ticket includes it. The present room works make old daily-show tables particularly unreliable.
Photography and viewpoints
Exterior photographs here retain their capture dates. No current lighting start time or unrestricted rooftop access is established. Ask before photographing interiors or using a tripod in a crowded passage.
Ticket help and languages
The venue numbers in the contact section come from the museum’s current notice. English help, guided tours, bag storage and a specific paper/QR credential remain unverified. Ask for the actual service before paying.
Nearby food and neighbourhoods
The Drum Tower is beside Beiyuan Gate Street;that identifies a location, not a recommendation for every business.[3]
Our suggestion: choose a short food outing by what you would like to try, and ask each seller about ingredients and allergens. The nearby community is more than a food backdrop.
CGTN · published 28 October 2025
See the building in its street setting.
CGTN · published 28 October 2025 · Archived livestream · not a live camera here
A recorded view of the Bell Tower
A recorded broadcast places the tower in its street setting. The original title and verified broadcaster listing were checked; playback and captions remain unconfirmed. It is not a present camera, opening notice or performance schedule.
Open CGTN’s original archived broadcastThe external player loads only when you choose it. If unavailable in your region, use the official source link. Cover photograph credited in Sources; not a film still.
- This is an archived livestream published in 2025, not a live camera on this website.
- Watch the compact tower against the broad junction and changing street activity.
- The footage does not establish today’s rooms, tickets, weather, illumination or performance schedule.
Official digital resources
A historical panorama to try.
A 2012 panorama supplies a historical viewpoint. Its original publisher can be visited separately, but we have not verified scene loading or drag navigation.
2012 night panorama by Liu Yunzeng
The original spherical panorama is credited to 刘运增 and dated 16 May 2012. Our browser met the publisher’s waiting/check page, so scene loading and drag navigation remain unverified. No image is rehosted.[14]
Open the photographer’s 360 Cities pageThird-party access, adverts, network quality and regional availability can vary. A title saying 360 orLive is not our certification of a working viewer or current camera.
Before you ask.
Are the two towers the same building?
No. The Bell Tower is the compact building at the street junction;the Drum Tower is the broader separate structure west of it.[3]
Can I visit the indoor exhibitions in autumn 2026?
Use the dated access table above, then confirm the actual reopening with the museum.
Does a foreign senior or child automatically enter free?
No such conclusion is supported here. The September notice limits its listed concessions to PRC citizens. Confirm a foreign-passport product with the venue.[2]
Is the bell on the tower the 711 original?
No. The city dates the tower replica’s installation to 1997. Beilin Museum holds the Tang original.[5][6]
Can I use both parts of a combined ticket on different days?
The latest published instructions state same-day, single entry. Do not follow an undated two-day claim without a newer operator rule.[2]
Will I hear a performance?
No current schedule or guaranteed performance is established. The building, platform and show are different parts of a possible visit.
Is the livestream on this page live now?
The CGTN film is an archive from 2025. The separate CCTV camera page is linked with its own verification limits;video playback alone does not prove a current scene.[13]
Do I need to enter both towers?
Our suggestion: no. Choose both for a specific comparison, one for a focused interior visit, or the public exterior views for a shorter outing.
Dates, sources and photographs
Follow the evidence.
The current operator refurbishment and September visitor notices take priority over 2019 visitor information and repeated travel-guide prices. Municipal historical records, museum object records, a scholarly study and the operator’s conservation-planning brief were read separately. Photographs retain original dates and do not establish current access. Routes are editorial estimates;no passport transaction, accessibility audit or on-site visit was performed.
Reviewed 2026-10-29. This date records our source review, not a live availability check.
Open 15 source references
- Museum: phased refurbishment and opening from 11 October 2026
Original museum operational notice · Published 2026-09-30 · Reviewed 2026-10-29
- Museum: September 2026 visitor, passport and concession instructions
Original museum notice with dated holiday hours · Published 2026-09-21 · Reviewed 2026-10-29
- Xi’an municipal English introduction: Bell and Drum Towers
Municipal historical background;operating information dated 2019 · Published 2019-01-31 · Reviewed 2026-10-29
- Xi’an municipal cultural route: construction and location history
Municipal heritage interpretation · Reviewed 2026-10-29
- Xi’an Local Chronicles Office: Bell Tower and 1997 replica
Municipal gazetteer extract · Published 2024-05-27 · Reviewed 2026-10-29
- Xi’an Beilin Museum: JingyunBell
Museum’s own object record · Reviewed 2026-10-29
- Wang Ruikun: Bell Tower history, Journal of Architectural History 2022(1), 81–92
Primary scholarly article excerpt;competing historical interpretation · Reviewed 2026-10-29
- Drum Tower heritage account: restored plaques andmodern drum
CPPCC heritage-book extract via municipal science platform · Published 2022-05-17 · Reviewed 2026-10-29
- Xi’anDaily: municipal archive research on plaque attribution
Contemporary reporting of archive research;authorship differs · Published 2004-01-13 · Reviewed 2026-10-29
- Operator’s 2022 conservation-planning brief, PDF 31/printed 30
Primary operator architectural/project description · Reviewed 2026-10-29
- Xi’an Heritage Bureau: institution duties andadministrative office
Municipal institution directory;not a visitor entrance · Reviewed 2026-10-29
- Xi’an Local Chronicles Office: underpass opening 2003
Municipal historical record · Published 2023-08-31 · Reviewed 2026-10-29
- CGTN: archived Bell Tower livestream, published 28 October 2025
Original broadcaster’s published listing · Published 2025-10-28 · Reviewed 2026-10-29
- Liu Yunzeng:360 Cities spherical panorama, 16 May 2012
Original photographer/publisher metadata;viewer unverified · Reviewed 2026-10-29
- CCTV Live China: original Bell Tower camera page
Original broadcaster page;scene/freshness check incomplete · Reviewed 2026-10-29
Photograph authors, dates and licences (18 photographs)
H2v5o68z · 2025-11-13 11:19:50 · CC0
Resized and converted to WebP. Image-file proportions retained; hero and preview layouts may crop the display. Original licence retained.
H2v5o68z · 2025-11-13 11:37:10 · CC0
Resized and converted to WebP. Image-file proportions retained; hero and preview layouts may crop the display. Original licence retained.
Caitriana Nicholson from 北京 ~ Beijing, 中国 ~ China · 2008-11-08 09:11 · CC BY-SA 2.0
Resized and converted to WebP. Image-file proportions retained; hero and preview layouts may crop the display. Original licence retained.
xiquinhosilva · 2012-04-20 17:39 · CC BY 2.0
Resized and converted to WebP. Image-file proportions retained; hero and preview layouts may crop the display. Original licence retained.
xiquinhosilva · 2012-04-20 18:08 · CC BY 2.0
Resized and converted to WebP. Image-file proportions retained; hero and preview layouts may crop the display. Original licence retained.
H2v5o68z · 2025-11-18 21:18:00 · CC0
Resized and converted to WebP. Image-file proportions retained; hero and preview layouts may crop the display. Original licence retained.
H2v5o68z · 2025-11-18 20:55:34 · CC0
Resized and converted to WebP. Image-file proportions retained; hero and preview layouts may crop the display. Original licence retained.
Adi.darkblue · 2025-05-31 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Resized and converted to WebP. Image-file proportions retained; hero and preview layouts may crop the display. Original licence retained.
H2v5o68z · 2025-11-16 21:26:35 · CC0
Resized and converted to WebP. Image-file proportions retained; hero and preview layouts may crop the display. Original licence retained.
H2v5o68z · 2025-11-13 10:48:12 · CC0
Resized and converted to WebP. Image-file proportions retained; hero and preview layouts may crop the display. Original licence retained.
H2v5o68z · 2025-11-13 10:47:28 · CC0
Resized and converted to WebP. Image-file proportions retained; hero and preview layouts may crop the display. Original licence retained.
BrokenSphere · 2007-10-24 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Resized and converted to WebP. Image-file proportions retained; hero and preview layouts may crop the display. Original licence retained.
BrokenSphere · 2007-10-24 · CC BY 3.0
Resized and converted to WebP. Image-file proportions retained; hero and preview layouts may crop the display. Original licence retained.
Kcx36 · 2023-09-29 13:00:49 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Resized and converted to WebP. Image-file proportions retained; hero and preview layouts may crop the display. Original licence retained.
Kcx36 · 2023-09-29 13:00:30 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Resized and converted to WebP. Image-file proportions retained; hero and preview layouts may crop the display. Original licence retained.
H2v5o68z · 2025-11-13 10:39:43 · CC0
Resized and converted to WebP. Image-file proportions retained; hero and preview layouts may crop the display. Original licence retained.
H2v5o68z · 2025-11-13 10:40:33 · CC0
Resized and converted to WebP. Image-file proportions retained; hero and preview layouts may crop the display. Original licence retained.
H2v5o68z · 2025-11-13 10:43:51 · CC0
Resized and converted to WebP. Image-file proportions retained; hero and preview layouts may crop the display. Original licence retained.
How conflicting descriptions were handled
The current access notice prevails over old tourist pages. A scheduled work-end date does not prove reopening.[1]
September 2026 passport/reservation instructions are labelled by publication date. Its explicit PRC-citizen concession limit is preserved rather than broadened for foreign travellers.[2]
Municipal sources call 1582 a relocation;Wang Ruikun argues for new construction with an earlier tower remaining. The disputed mechanism is kept visible.[7][4]
The restored 2005 plaques and 1997 bell replica are distinguished from old fabric. The calligrapher attributions differ between heritage and archive accounts;no definitive authorship is invented.[8][9][5]
Conservation procurement documents describe a building and a project brief;they do not certify all projects completed or current visitor routes.[10]
CGTN’s 2025 stream is an archive. The 2012 panorama viewer met an access-check page. CCTV’s camera player advanced through promotional material for about 44 seconds without a confirmed Bell Tower scene; no live-view success is claimed.[13][14][15]
What still needs direct confirmation
- Actual reopening after scheduled exhibition works and any newer access change.
- Current construction-period combined-ticket tariff, passport checkout/refund procedure and actual admission credential.
- Current performance programme, lights-on times, English tours, luggage storage and accessible routes.
- Working 360 viewer interaction and real-device behaviour; the CCTV camera check showed promotional material rather than a confirmed current scene.
Film verification: The original CGTN title, verified broadcaster identity and 28 October 2025 publication were checked in the published listing. This is an archive. Playback, captions and regional availability remain unconfirmed.
In this guide