Drum Tower (Weizhou City Wall)

The ancient city of Weizhou is located on a platform on the south bank of the Huliu River. At present, the south and east city walls of the ancient city of Weizhou have been completely demolished. The remaining well-preserved ones are the northern section of the north city wall and the west city wall, which is about 1,600 meters long. The east and west city gates have been destroyed, and only the south gate survives. Wanshan Tower and Wenchang Pavilion in the city were restored and rebuilt in 1998. The east, west and south sides of the moat basically exist, and the stone bridge outside the three gates still exists. According to the "Weizhou Chronicles", the ancient city of Weizhou is seven miles and thirteen steps in circumference, the city wall is three feet and five feet high, there are three city gate towers, four corner towers, and more than 1,100 battlements. The east gate is Anding Gate, the tower is Jingyang Tower, the south gate is Jingxian Gate, the tower is Wanshan Tower, the west gate is Qingyuan Gate, and the tower is Guangyun Tower. There are tall and majestic urn cities outside the three gates. The moat is connected to the inner city by a suspension bridge. Outside the city is a moat that is more than three meters deep and more than seven meters wide. The city of Weizhou is irregular in shape, wide in the south, narrow in the north, and curved and uneven in the east and west. There are only three gates in the city, namely the east, west and south gates, but no north gate. The Jade Emperor Pavilion is built on the north city wall. The four main streets in the city are east, west, south and north, forming an architectural pattern with Wenchang Pavilion (Drum Tower) and South Gate (Wanshan Tower) symmetrical, and the north-south streets as the central axis. Due to historical reasons, the ancient city of Weizhou has suffered some damage, but the style of the ancient city has basically not changed. In addition, there are many government offices, temples, pavilions and houses in the ancient city, and there are still the legacy of the ancient city of Ming and Qing dynasties. In the history of Weizhou, Han culture was the mainstream, but in terms of the shape of the ancient city, it was contrary to the strict "ritual system" of the traditional Han nationality: square and dignified, clear longitude and latitude, and symmetrical planning and construction of the central axis are the biggest characteristics of the ancient city of Weizhou.

Introduction to the Drum Tower: The Drum Tower is located in the center of Weizhou Ancient City and is one of the attractions of Weizhou Ancient City. It was first built in the 14th year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (1381) by Zhou Fang, the commander of Weizhou Guard. It has been repaired many times in successive dynasties. The Drum Tower was originally a "Qiao Tower" and was changed to "Wenchang Pavilion" in the Qing Dynasty. The pavilion was destroyed in the 1940s. The current Drum Tower was rebuilt in 1997. It is a three-eaved, multi-angled, hip-and-gable, tiled, and glazed building with a sheared edge. It is 17 meters high, nine bays wide, and five bays deep. The four characters "初哉首基" are inlaid above the south side of the brick Voucher. Recommended attractions: The original Drum Tower base and column base are still preserved. The current Drum Tower is a three-eaved, multi-angled, hip-and-gable, tiled, and glazed building with a sheared edge. It has majestic eaves, superb craftsmanship, exquisite structure, unique shape, and unique architectural techniques. It is a representative and excellent work among Weizhou's antique buildings. You can see the "Weixian Old Photo Exhibition", "Weixian Modern and Contemporary Ticket Exhibition" and "Contemporary Calligraphy and Painting Exhibition" in the scenic spot.