Beijing Ningxia Hotel and the Bell and Drum Towers
Taking a few minutes walk from the Beijing Ningxia Hotel, you will find the ancient Bell and Drum Towers. The towers are locally known as Gulou (drum) and Zhonglou (bell) which were China’s ancient musical instruments.
Gulou or the Drum Tower is a two-storey building made entirely of wood with a height of 47 meters. It was constructed as the Tower of Orderly Administration (Qizhenglou) during the reign of Kublai Khan.The upper storey of the building used to house 24 drums, of which only one survived. The Drum Tower was the time keeping hub of the whole city which was equipped with bronze clepsydras (water clocks) and drums that were beaten to mark the hours. You won’t even need an alarm clock in your Beijing Ningxia Hotel room.
Behind the Drum Tower stands the Zhonglou or Bell Tower, a 33-meter-high structure with gray walls and a green glazed roof. The tower used to house a huge iron bell, but because it’s produced sound is not loud enough, it was later replaced with a solid, 10-inch cast bronze bell. The ringing bell could be heard 20 kilometers from the Beijing Ningxia Hotel.
The Confucian Temple Next to Beijing Ningxia Hotel
The Temple of Confucius or the Confucian Temple is also located near Beijing Ningxia Hotel. Visiting this old memorial temple, you will find accounts of the ancient religion that shaped the beliefs and faith of the Chinese people.
From you Beijing Ningxia Hotel room window, you can see the Old Temple of Confucius. It was first built in 1302 and during the Ming and Qing dynasties, few renovations were made. The temple has a total area of 22,000 square meters (5.4 acres) and is the second largest temple constructed for Confucius, the supreme thinker and educationalist in ancient China.
One notable feature of the Confucian Temple is the names given to their gates and buildings. The Temple of Confucius has four courtyards. The main structures include Xianshi Gate (Gate of the First Teacher), Dacheng Gate (Gate of Great Accomplishment), Dacheng Hall (Hall of Great Accomplishment) and Chongshengci (Worship Hall). Dacheng Hall is the focal area of the temple, where memorial ceremonies for Confucius were mostly held. And you will feel blessed as you get out of the temple and return to Beijing Ningxia Hotel.
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