Zengchong Drum Tower

From Wiki China org cn

The oldest Dong drum tower in China, the Zengchong Drum Tower in Congjiang County is a structure built in 1627 during the Qing Dynasty. It is still well preserved and under state protection as part of the national cultural heritage.

The tower sits on a base of 115 sq. m, and rises 26 m from the ground, including the pinnacle. It is constructed entirely with logs of Chinese fir fixed together by mortises and tenons without using a single nail. The roof tiles are held together with home-made adhesive. The eaves are painted with images of dragons, phoenixes, fish and shrimps, and underneath are sculptures. There is a circular corridor on each of the first four stories linked by a spiral staircase. In the center of the top floor is a large drum three meters long and 50 cm in diameter. An important event or emergency may prompt the village chief to beat the drum to summing all the villagers to the drum tower. The ground floor has three big doors and is paved with granite slabs, with a fireplace in the center.

Zengchong Drum Tower