The Ancient Functions of Beijing Bell and Drum Tower

The ancient function of Beijing Bell and Drum Tower is mainly to tell time.

The Bell and Drum Tower is a typical ancient building in China. Its history can be traced back to the Yuan Dynasty, and now the bell and drum tower architecture can be traced back to the Ming Dynasty, with a history of several hundred years.

In ancient times, the main function of the bell and drum tower was to tell the time, and it was also used to direct the daily life of the court and the people. Huge bells and drums are hung on the bell and drum towers respectively, and special drummers and bell ringers are responsible for ringing and playing. The daily telegraph activity has been going on for hundreds of years.

The bell and drum tower tells the time in a very unique way. Bells and drums cooperate with each other, and each performance has its own special rhythm and tone. The morning song rings from the bell and drum tower, and its playing time coincides with the sunrise time, marking the beginning of the day. At dusk, the bell and drum tower rang again, announcing the end of the day.

Records about Beijing Bell and Drum Tower

The bell tower is like a drum. Every night, Captain Gu Si takes the "aiming light" as the signal, rings the bell, closes the city gate and cuts off the traffic, which is called "Jing Jie". At this time, the bellmen in the palace and even the streets of Beijing, armed with gongs, bangzi and protective gear, began to tell the time all night to guard the safety of Beijing.

At that time, when the bell tower was ringing, Emperor Qianlong had an image description in the Inscription on Rebuilding the Bell Tower by Imperial Command: "When midnight is severe, the nine roads begin to open, and the bell rings, corresponding to the leakage of the palace pot, and the Zhou Lu bell rings, which is slow. It is clear and sad, and it flies far and wide. There are more than ten miles inside and outside the capital, so you can't help but listen. "

The drums and clocks are set to 108. The ancients used 108 to represent a year. In the Ming Dynasty, Lang Ying explained in Volume IV of Seven Manuscripts that the deduction of 108 means one year old. Covered in 65438+February, 24 solar terms, there are 72 issues (the fifth day in ancient times was a period, and the sixth period was January, so there are 72 issues in a year), which is 108, symbolizing a year's reincarnation and being immortal.

There is another explanation for the number 108. In Taoism, there are 36 highest days and 72 goblins. Yin and Yang derive everything and form an endless world. There are 36 highest days and 72 goblins in the sky. 108 stands for 108 stars.

In the cultural tradition of China, 108 stands for perfection, and the number 108 often appears in many buildings. For example, there are 108 railings at the bottom of the Tiantan tile ball field in Beijing, and 108 stone pillars at each floor of the Hall of Prayer for the Year.

Baidu Encyclopedia-Beijing Drum Tower and Bell Tower