The Bell Tower and the legend of the bell maiden

In front of you is the Bell Tower, Zhōnglóu, the northern end of Beijing's central axis. Notice that, unlike the Drum Tower, it is made entirely of stone and brick. There is a reason: the earlier wooden one burned down.

1A fireproof tower

The Ming tower burned soon after it was built. For centuries it was hard to keep up, until in 1745 the Qianlong Emperor had it rebuilt, this time in brick and stone. It is almost 48 metres tall, and inside hangs a bronze bell from the Yongle era, 5.4 metres high. When it rang, it could be heard across much of the city.

2The founder's daughter

Its sound has a legend. It is said that the emperor commissioned the bell from a master founder and threatened him with death if he failed. The first castings came out cracked. In despair, his daughter threw herself into the molten bronze; her father tried to hold her back, and all he was left holding was a shoe.

The bell came out perfect, and ever since, Beijingers say, its toll sounds like “xie”, the Chinese word for “shoe”.

The young woman was venerated in the neighbourhood as “the goddess who cast the bell”. There is no document behind the story, but it has been told for generations.

At the foot of the towers, the square is one of Beijing's most neighbourly corners: children, kites and locals out for an afternoon stroll.

3What to look for

• The arches on all four sides, in grey stone.
• The white balustrade around the upper floor.
• The view to the south: from here the Drum Tower lines up with the city's axis.