To the Drum Tower Photo

Photographer’s Note

Drum Tower

The Drum Tower is located northwest of the Bell Tower across the Bell Tower and Drum Tower Square. Both of them are called the 'sister buildings' or 'morning bell and dark drum'. In ancient China, especially from the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), the drums were used to signal the running of time and on occasion were used as an alarm in emergency situations.

The Drum Tower in Xian was initially built in 1380 during the reign of Emperor Hongwu of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and was renovated twice in 1699 and 1740 in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It is a two-storied post and panel structure, 34 meters (about 112 feet) high and 52.6 meters (about 172 feet) long from east to west as well as 38 meters (about 124 feet) wide from north to south. The architecture style of the Drum Tower is a combination of the styles of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and the Qing Dynasty. However, the Drum Tower also has some innovative features. For example, it should be mentioned that there is no iron nail used anywhere in the Drum Tower.

Arriving at the Drum Tower you will see that there is an arched doorway, this one, in the centre of the south and north walls, doorway being 6 meters (about 20 feet) in both height and width. The north entrance leads to Beiyuan Men and south to Xi Dajie. Visitors can go upstairs to the second floor, and enjoy the views around the Drum Tower. Meanwhile, you will notice that there are twenty-four drums in the north and south sides of the Drum Tower. These drums stand for the Twenty-four Solar Terms,which is a kind of weather calendar created by the Chinese ancients in order to guide the agricultural production.

In modern times, the Drum Tower is not used as a timer any more, but there are some new attractions for visitors to enjoy. In the year of 1996, a new drum, covered by a whole piece of cowhide was given a place on the Drum Tower. It is the biggest drum in China at present. What is more, visitors will enjoy musical performances on the Drum Tower,here.
These performances will enlighten one on the power of ancient Chinese culture.

When you finish visiting the Drum Tower, you may round off your trip, by tasting a number of delicious snacks of Shaanxi in the Moslem Street (Huimin Jie) adjacent to the Drum Tower.

pastadog, carper, riclopes, meltemi, Emile, evanrizo, adores, clio, vinicio, danyy, salvator, ifanik, Charo, jaywalker, dip, stego, shevchenko, syd1946, wishlist, saylan-cb, AiresSantos, Truja, chrisnet, LamCam, jlbrthnn, josepmarin, clnaef, kiwi_explorer, Uhu, Jakab, Cricri, emjleclercq, Angshu, axiotea, jorgi, steliosk, jusninasirun, paura has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

pastadog (12821) 2008-01-29 0:21

Excellent perspective leading to the attractive artwork deep there, Danos, in a nice mix of curved and straight lines. Congratulations, Daniel.

hatti52 (12654) 2008-01-29 1:49

Hi Danos
Excellent shot with great light management and colours
congrats

Budapestman (41086) 2008-01-29 2:38

Hi Danos,
Splendid architecture image with effective and spectacular composition, I like the decorative details, clarity and lights is superb. Very well done! Have a nice day
George

carper (64194) 2008-01-29 3:14

very special shot here Danos,
the depth is nice and the dark to light effect is good, I like the unusual shot, very good photojob here, have a nice day.
gr. jaap

UnTrained (0) 2008-01-29 3:32

Kalimera Danos,
good depth looking through his long grey tunnel and fine red in contrast to the grey. The light is good managed to have a lot of details and textures.
Lieben Gruss, Ulf

riclopes (32869) 2008-01-29 4:45

Olá Danos, excellent presentation of this place, with very good informative note. Good choice of this one for the main post, considering the rainny weather seen in the WSs and also in the umbrellas seen here. Splendid central composition of this grey tunnel with the red elements leading us to the light and impressive details seen in the background. Love the light effect on the doors and I'm imagining an alternative shot closer to them but the perspective would be lost, though.
Best wishes,
ricardo

meltemi (9746) 2008-01-29 6:13

Geia Sou Danos,
wonderful mood created by the light and color of this composition. Your excellent point of view, quite symmetric, creates an impressive perspective with pleasant colours and good play of light and shadows. Bravo.
Kind Regards.
Stella

delkoo (33988) 2008-01-29 7:07

hi danos
Well composed in wonderful light. Your perspective is well chosen and there is good depth.
well done
didier

Emile (19811) 2008-01-29 7:40

Hola Danos.
Great perspective catching your eyes to the impressive round image, very well captured, you got here also a good depth. Very good shot.
Well done. TFS.
Best regards.

evanrizo (456) 2008-01-29 9:40

Γειάσου Δάνο, αυτή αν δεν είναι εντυπωσιακή!
Πάρα πολύ καλή στιγμή και σύνθεση και οι άνθρωποι είναι ότι πρέπει εδώ και σαν αριθμός, δηλαδή αν ήταν περισσότερη νομίζω θα έχανε κάπως ενώ τώρα φαίνονται όλα τα απαραίτητα πολύ καλά.
Καλή νύχτα.
Βαγγέλης

toto (18563) 2008-01-29 13:35

Belle photo de cette entrée vers ce temple qui avec ces deux rangées de lampes rouges attire notre regard ves cette sorte de divinité sise dans une grande roue, les couleurs or et rouge donne un très bel effet a votre photo.
Amitiés Thomas

adores (15315) 2008-01-29 14:47

Hi Danos!
Nice shot with a good pov. I like the rows of lanters and the dragon at the end of the tunnel. You got good colours and even good light in spite of the rain.Good to see your shots before I leave:)

clio (22438) 2008-01-29 14:50

Geia sou Dano,
Red, now and silver, magnificent colors.
Beautiful composition and an impressive stage setting with this perspective.
Very nice.
Filika
Diane

vinicio (22262) 2008-01-29 23:00

Beautiful image of this wonderful place, your view from under the porch is very good and the red dragon is amazing, well done Danos, compliments.
Ciao
Vinicio

danyy (68088) 2008-01-29 23:47

Bonjour Danos,
tu as choisi des lumières très difficiles et il n'était pas évident de rendre en photo ce que ton oeil voyait. Mais le résultat est ici plus qu'honorable, avec certes un peu de surexpositon dans la zone claire, mais ls détails sufficsment visible dans ce 'tunnel'.
Regards.
Daniel.

John_F_Kennedy (30723) 2008-01-30 4:04

I like the play of light that you have in this very narrow way. Nice colours and very good framing.
Best wishes,
Achim

salvator (18759) 2008-01-30 5:20

Yasu Danos,
Very nice. The use of the light, the details even in the dark areas and the red lamps, the area seen from the end and the sharpness are superbly controlled. The wet areas on the floor, the people... Superb filemou.
Se xereto. Salvator.

ifanik (20464) 2008-01-30 5:44

Panemorfi Dano
Entiposiaki eikona apo makrina merh
Sygxartiria
Xairetw
Nikos

anducina (8072) 2008-01-30 5:49

Excellent compo in red and grey. The red lamps beautifully contrast with the grey walls, with their texture. I like the golden dragon and the silhouettes. Excellent light.

TFS,
Andreea

gracious (20017) 2008-01-30 8:52

Hello Danos,
Excellent composition with perfect exposure and focus that brings good sharpness, vivid colour and details in the shot!
well done and TFS
many thanks
Tony

jaywalker (12186) 2008-01-30 8:56

Hi Danos, The lanterns are a great accessory to this excellent photo, they give wonderful colour through the tunnel, at the end, through the arch is that beautiful Chinese art work, very typical &, elegant, very well composed &, TFS, kind regards Wilson.

dip (12412) 2008-01-30 11:37

Geia sou Dano,
omorfi fotografia,kala kadrarismeni me tis duo seires apo ta kokkina diakosmitika(?) pou dimiourgoun kali prooptiki kai odigoun to mati s'auto to terastio emvlima,
oi anthropoi prosthetoun zoi kai kinisi stin sunthesi,
polu kali,
Xaireto,
Dimitris.

stego (22340) 2008-01-30 12:21

Hi Danos,
Very effective and nice use of the tunnel to produce a punchy image, with that fearful figure of the circle at the centre. The red and yellow make a great contrast with the grey of the walls and the presence of people gives a sense of scale and also a human touch.
I guess that this would always be a difficult light situation, but you managed it remarkably well. Maybe the grey weather helped you easing the contrast, but probably made the place too dark also. The WS are very useful as complements and both feature great POV's.
Regards, José.

shevchenko (9760) 2008-01-30 19:50

Hi Danos,
Interesting composition to show the interior of an historical gate, distinct image to show the dim passageway, good pov to have perspective effect and good balancing of symmetri, thanks for sharing WS photos too.
Ally

syd1946 (17825) 2008-01-30 22:24

Γεια σου Δάνο,
Πολυ ωραια και ζυγισμενη φωτογραφια καθημερινοτητας στην Κινα.Το βαθος πεδιου στη στοα αλλα και ο κοκκινος διακοσμος ειναι ιδιαιτερα ελκυστικα στο ματι.Θα ελεγα οτι ειναι ιδιαιτερα πετυχημενος ο φωτισμος ωστε να διακρινουμε καθαρα καθε λεπτομερεια.Και παλι κατατοπιστικο το σημειωμα σου!

Θωμάς

jurek1951 (25760) 2008-01-30 22:38

Hi Danos,
Wonderful colours and great perspective.Excellent clarity and very good composition.
Georg

vincz (19039) 2008-01-31 0:44

Great POV with excellent perspective. i love how the red lights above work so well in the dark tunnel. The opening in the light at the end with the dragon is fabulous. Great catch my friend!

azaf1 (15541) 2008-01-31 1:20

Kalimera Dane
H kina einai aneksantliti pigi thematon kai empnefsis, ki esi vrikes tin xara tou fotografou. Apithani prooptiki tis diodou me ta kokkina sto tavani pou pane to vlemma s ena ksekatharo kai lampero telos sto meso tis fotografias.
Ta sigxaritiria mou
Argiris

saylan-cb (12726) 2008-01-31 3:17

Kalimera Danos
Superb architecture image!Great perspective and light,details is very good.
TFS/Regards

Charo (31651) 2008-01-31 3:19

Hola Danos,
Estupenda toma muy singular y de grandes contrastes. Un lugar muy interesante y gran POV.
Cordialmente
Charo

Truja (4948) 2008-01-31 6:49

Hi Danos,
peculiar and impressive place, of fort contrasts chromatic and architectonic. The POV is excellent, is a clear option to enter to us in the passage, is fabulous!
Very great work Danos!

Un saludo, Jordi

Fis2 (45286) 2008-01-31 8:36

Czesc Danos!
Interesting frame and curious perspective. Good colors and light. Very impressive picture.
Weel done.
Regards
Krzysztof

chrisnet (20354) 2008-01-31 8:55

Hi Danos,
Good perspective and symetry here, the decorative details are superb, well seen and done!
Regards

LamCam (3603) 2008-01-31 9:31

Hello Dano
They are not afraid to use red in their decorations in China - and you have used it well in this shot! The lanterns emphasise the perspective and the dragon plaque is a perfect focal point. The dark stone walls must have cut down the light, but you have managed to capture the detail of the stone.
Best wishes Maggie

jlbrthnn (37038) 2008-02-01 3:00

Hello Danos,
In this image the colors are fantastic and contrast well with the dark gray of the walls. The brilliant red colors and the colors gold of the dragon are superb. Congratulations.
Have a nice day and weekend.
Cordially
Joël

Silvio1953 (40933) 2008-02-01 5:40

Hi Danos, fascinating perspective on wonderful architecture, great composition, very well done, ciao Silvio

Hellas (5099) 2008-02-01 7:00

Σωστό κάδρο με υπέροχη προοπτική, ρεαλιστικά χρώματα και καλές λεπτομέρειες.
Τα ταξίδια εμπλουτίζουν τις γνώσεις και τις εικόνες του μυαλού. Ειδάλλως το TrekEarth είναι ένα πολύ καλό βοήθημα προς αυτή την κατεύθυνση.
Ευχαριστούμε που μοιράζεσαι μαζί μας τέτοιες εικόνες.
Καλό Σαββατοκύριακο,
Αθανάσιος.

josepmarin (33611) 2008-02-01 7:45

Hi Danos,
The centered setting works very well in this composition, has a good symmetrical effect and a great depth and perspective. The image of the dragoon gilded at the end of this corridor and the red Chinese lanterns in the roof, add a touch of vivid and very attractive colors. I like to see the people too.
Good work, it is an elegant and realized well photo, with good management of the exposure.
Friendly regards,
Josep

thiv56 (1454) 2008-02-01 8:51

Kalispera, Dano,

Oraia fotografia! TFS.
Tha protimousa pio skoteinous tous toixous gia na epikentronetai pio efkola i prosoxi tou theati stin pili kai ta pera apo aftin.

Graal (57312) 2008-02-01 10:11

Hi Danos,
unusual interior, fine contrast of colours, good details and informations in note. Well done.
Gr., Aleksander

kiwi_explorer (12195) 2008-02-01 12:22

Hi Danos,
This must have been a difficult shot because of the low lighting conditions ... you've done well managing the lighting. I like the tunnel effect with people at the end to give scale of dimension. Also liked the lined red lanterns in the ceiling creating a converging line. Well captured and composed with very informative notes. Excellent work! tfs
Cheers,
Renier

Uhu (7340) 2008-02-01 14:24

Very good centered composition here, and great note also.

Stepan (27167) 2008-02-02 0:39

An interesting colors PP to have style and mood. Well done and attractive...
Stéphane

Jakab (3408) 2008-02-02 11:23

Hello Danos,
I like very much the "colours in grey" effect here. Thanks to the careful composition and superb control of lights it is an impressive message from a remote but magnificient culture - not to mention the excellent detailed description which is very useful for those who (like myself) have never been in Asia.
Have a nice weekend!
Laszlo

Cricri (42894) 2008-02-03 10:03

Hi Danos,
Joli détails dans ce " couloir" avec une bonne lumiére, une belle perspective pour bien la présenter, grande note intéressante, ainsi que les liens, compliment
Have a nice evening for you
cricri

MarcT (20983) 2008-02-04 7:42

Hi Danos,
That's an excellent POV and an adequate management of the exposure. It isn't so esay under these circumstances.
Well done
Marc

emjleclercq (14133) 2008-02-04 13:51

Excellent contrast between the grey of the passage and the red of the lanterns. And I like very much the huge dragon seen though the opening. Excellent and original composition.

All the best,

Emmanuel

jrj (34779) 2008-02-05 1:28

A well done compo Danos with good use of the passage leading to the round decor in the back. Good to have some people arpund for adding life and interest to the setting.

Angshu (33346) 2008-02-05 19:54

Hello Danos
Your exposure management is excellent, more so since you were shooting from the shadows. The perspective of the lanterns is excellent leading upto the sculptured artwork & I like the symmetry as well. A difficult shot, well captured & a great note.
Best Regards
Angshu

axiotea (15933) 2008-02-05 20:26

Hello Danos
You have handled well the low light, allowing us to see the details. The path is leading nicely the viewer to the dragon which provides a great BG. I like the patterns of the red lanterns and its texture. Nice contrast and a good sense of depth.
Cheers
Marilyn

jorgi (3798) 2008-02-15 8:14

Hi Danos,

this is superb composed capture, leading the eye through arch to a magnificent drum artwork. Front light is managed excellently, providing great sense of foreground texures with stresses red coloured decoration, all leading to main motive, also stressed by its golden colour, an accent in otherwise almost three toned capture. Excellent work.

Kind regards,
Jeri

steliosk (4784) 2008-03-02 15:34

Agaphte mou Dano,
mporei egw na eleipsa gia ligo alla esy synexizeis na megalourgeis
proswpika edw se sygxairw gia th dyskolh fwtometrhsh. Einai aksio8aumastos o tropos pou krathses tous skoteinous tonous.
Mprabo file

Xairetw
Kalo brady

GFSSD-1 (1141) 2008-10-17 1:30 [Comment]

Show Comment

jusninasirun (10076) 2008-11-11 2:47

Hi Danos. Excellent rows of bright lanterns leading to the light with colorful emblem. You did well in bringing out fg details and I like the human interest in the scene. Well done. Jusni

paura (37896) 2008-11-14 2:10

Danos,
Uma linda imagem mostrada de forma muito bonita, em uma composição de excelente profundidade e com boas cores. Muito boa.

Abraço

Paulo