| The Drum Tower was built in 1380 during the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). The tradition of having a bell and drum tower, as mentioned previously, goes back to the Han Dynasty. The procedure was formalized under the Yuan Dynasty and became part of the daily life of the Chinese, at least for those who lived in cities. The drum was used to mark the passing of time as well as to give alarms in times of emergency or threat. Different signals were used and were known by the populace.
The Drum Tower is about 112 feet tall, 172 feet long, and 124 feet wide. The architecture is mixed because it was renovated several times during the Qing Dynasty. It uses complicated mortise and tenon joints and not a single nail. At least not a metal nail, because pegs are a type of nail and pegs were used. There are only two stories in the tower although it looks like there are three.
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