This impressive red drum tower, located in the middle of a busy roundabout in central Linfen, is the second tallest drum tower in China. (At 43.75 meters tall, it is just a bit shorter than the one in Beijing.) Also known as Dazhonglou, this magnificent square tower was built in the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). The structure has been damaged by several major earthquakes and has been rebuilt a number of times. The foundation is original, but the main wooden structure was completely rebuilt (to the earlier design) in 1984 after having been damaged in 1948 during the Chinese Revolution. This drum tower is supported by 12 massive wooden pillars, each one meter in diameter. The building contains no nails and is held together by a series of interlocking wooden pieces. The tower is several floors tall, and visitors are permitted to climb to the top, where they can enjoy a nice view out over the city, including of the eight-sized pagoda at Dayun Temple nearby. The drum on display on the lower floor is not the original one, but the bell on display in some 800 years old.Location: The Linfen Drum Tower (Dazhonglou) is located on Gulou Xi Dajie in central Linfen.See more..
