The Drum Tower 鼓楼

CITY DEVELOPMENT |城市发展 The Drum Tower 鼓楼

The Development of Ningbo’s Most Popular Pedestrian Street 宁波最兴旺的步行街的发展

Written by ( 作者 ): Kiko Shi 施静敏 Photos by( 图片来源 ): Xuguang Pan 潘旭 光 & Peijian Zhang 张培坚

Have you ever heard the Chinese saying “morning bell and evening drum”? In ancient China, the bell was rung in the morning and the drum was beaten in the evening to remind citizens of the time of day.

Ningbo’s Drum Tower (Gǔlóu; 鼓楼 ) was first built during the Tang Dynasty in 821 and has been around for over 1,100 years. There was also a Bell Tower built during the Ming Dynasty, which mainly functioned as a military defense post and warning for pirates along the southeast coast. Unfortunately, due to lighting strikes and fires over the years, it was taken down, leaving the Drum Tower as one of the only remaining relics of old Ningbo.

The Drum Tower has undergone many hardships and reincarnations since its first inception. At the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty, all buildings of importance across China were destroyed lest they provided shelter for a Han rebellion. The Drum Tower was one of the many structures that was demolished. It was eventually rebuilt as Mingyuan Tower (Míngyuǎn Lóu; 明远楼 ) but was destroyed in the rebellion that toppled the Yuan Dynasty. It wasn’t rebuilt until 1585, when the local viceroy commissioned its reconstruction in 1434, naming it Haishu Tower (Hǎishǔ Lóu; 海曙楼 ), which is where the name of present-day Haishu District comes from. In 1935 a square clock tower was added to the top of the structure, making it a unique combination of East and West.

In April 1989, the Ningbo Municipal Government granted 350,000 RMB to repair the tower. Repairs were completed in June 1990, leaving the tower we know and love today. The tower covers an area of more than 700 m2 and has a bow stone architecture and a height of 8 meters. The gateway of the tower is 16 meters in height and 5 meters in width.

Today, the Drum Tower area boasts one of the most thriving pedestrian and cultural areas in the city. Great importance has been attached to the area, with an eye on development of commerce, culture, and tourism. The Gulou Pedestrian Street features food, hotels, sights, shopping, and entertainment venues. The pedestrian street project was initiated in June 2012 and was completed in February 2013. On both sides of the street are shops done up in the traditional Chinese style, creating a harmonious mix of new and old. There is an archway that was added to the area that reads “Si Ming Da Guan” and two open-air stages for holiday performances. The tower and pedestrian street were renamed Gulou Yan Historic Cultural Area, and it is listed as one of the Zhejiang Provincial Commercial and Cultural Demonstration Streets for its value to the public as a center for commerce and culture.

The Drum Tower, which witnessed the development of Ningbo throughout history, is still an integral part of the contemporary city and continues to serve as a significant cultural area for locals and visitors alike.

你是否听说过中文里“晨钟暮鼓”的说 法?在古代中国，钟是早上敲的，而鼓是晚上 打的，用来提醒市民一天中的时辰。

宁波的鼓楼最早建于821年的唐代，到 今天已经有1100多年的历史了。那儿也有一 座建于明朝的钟楼，主要是作为军事防御据 点，以及警告东南沿海的海盗。不幸的是，钟 楼由于经年的雷电和大火已经倒下，只留下 老宁波不多的遗迹之一的鼓楼。

鼓楼自从诞生以来经历了很多次困难和 重建。在元代初，中国所有的重要建筑都被 毁掉，就为了防止它们成为汉族起义的避难 所。鼓楼也是其中之一。它最终被重建成明 远楼，但在推翻元朝的起义中再次被毁。 新 的重建工作由总督在1434年开启，并在 1585年建成，命名为海曙楼，也就是现在的 海曙区得名的出处。在1935年，一个方形的 钟楼被附加到建筑之上，形成了它成为独一 无二的中西合璧的风格。

在1989年4月，宁波市政府出资35万人 民币修葺这座楼，并于1990年6月完成。也 就是我们现在看到并喜欢的模样。这座楼占 地700多平方米，有弓形的石头建筑和8米的 高度。这座楼的入口高16米，宽5米。

今天鼓楼区域是整个城市中最兴旺的步 行街和文化区之一。它被赋予了很高的重要 性，包括商业发展，文化以及旅游。鼓楼步行 街布满了美食，宾馆，美景，购物和娱乐的场 所。步行街项目与2012年6月启动，并在 2013年2月完成。在街的两旁有传统中式的 商店，形成了新与旧和谐的融合。那儿有一 道加上去的拱门，上面写着“四明伟观”。另 外还有两个露天的节日用表演舞台。这楼和 步行街被重新命名为鼓楼区历史文化区，并 且因为它作为商业和文化的公共价值被列为 浙江省商业文化示范街之一。

见证了宁波历史发展的鼓楼依然是这座 现代城市不可缺少的一部分，它同时也是当 地百姓和游客心目中重要的文化殿堂。

Bio

Kiko Shi ( 施 静 敏 ) is 27 and lives and works as an English teacher in Ningbo. She is outgoing, open-minded and loves reading, writing, cycling and exploring her city.

施静敏，27岁，是一个 在宁波生活的英语老师。 她性格外向、思想开放， 热爱阅读、写作和骑车 探索这座城市。