Performers strike at the bell placed on the Bell Tower of Xi'an to tell time on Thursday, April 26, 2007. [Photo: Xinhua]
The ancient city of Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi province, has brought back the system of announcing the time of the day, by striking bells and beating drums at its bell and drum towers.
Actors dressed in ancient clothing will give a performance at the bell tower every day at 9, 12, and 3 o'clock , sounding the bell 24 times. Every evening at 6 o'clock, drums on the drum tower will be struck, marking dusk.
In ancient China, drum and bell towers used to play the role of clocks in telling people the time. Drum and bell towers still remain in ancient Chinese cities like Beijing and Xi'an.
However, the system of using a drum and bell to mark time has been absent from Xi'an for more than 100 years.
