1384 Ming-era city-center tower — Xi'an's geographic zero and the city's signature postcard image.
At a glance
- What it is
- Heritage Site
- Also known as
- 西安钟楼 (Xī'ān Zhōnglóu)
- Opening hours
- 8:30 AM – 9 PM
- Time needed
- 45 min
- Best time to visit
- Dusk for lights up + Drum Tower combo
- Getting there
- Metro to the door
- English
- English tours available
- Cards accepted
- Visa, Mastercard
- Entry
- Passport booking recommended
- Wi-Fi
- No public Wi-Fi
- Address
- Bell Tower Square, Xi'an · 钟楼广场
Highlights
- Combo Ticket with Drum Tower50 RMB combo vs 35+35 separate; both worth
- Upper Deck 360° ViewBest Xi'an old-city aerial
What Chinese travelers actually do here
Distilled from Chinese-language travel notes — the practical tips most English guides miss.
- ▸Use the underground metro passage to reach the base; the surface roundabout has no crosswalk and is not safe to cross on foot.
- ▸Buy the 50 RMB combo with the Drum Tower rather than separate tickets, since the two towers are a five-minute walk apart.
- ▸Climb to the upper deck for the real reason to visit; the indoor exhibits are minor and can be skimmed quickly.
- ▸Time your visit for dusk so you catch the tower lighting up just as the Muslim Quarter night market gets going next door.
- ▸From the deck you get the best aerial shot of the old city's grid, better than any street-level photo of the tower itself.
- ▸There is no Wi-Fi inside, so download an offline map before you go if you plan to navigate to the Muslim Quarter after.
- ▸Visit the Bell Tower and Drum Tower back to back, then flow straight into the Muslim Quarter for dinner to chain all three efficiently.
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What travelers say (3 reviews)
Frequently asked questions about Bell Tower
- Is it worth going inside the Xi'an Bell Tower?
- Yes, mainly for the view. The interior holds small calligraphy and furniture exhibits, but the real draw is the 360-degree panorama of the old city from the upper deck. Entry is 35 RMB, or 50 RMB as a combo with the nearby Drum Tower, which is the better value since both are worth seeing. Budget around forty-five minutes for the tower itself.
- How do I reach the Bell Tower without crossing traffic?
- The tower sits on a roundabout in the heart of the walled city with no street-level pedestrian crossing. Take the metro to Bell Tower station and use the underground passage, which leads directly to the base of the monument. Visa, Mastercard, and mobile payments are accepted, and no advance booking is required, though passport-linked entry is recommended for foreign visitors.
- What is the best time to visit the Bell Tower?
- Come at dusk, when the tower lights up and the Muslim Quarter night market nearby begins to fill. The fading light over the old-city rooftops makes for the strongest photos from the upper deck. Pair it with the Drum Tower on the combo ticket and walk straight into the Muslim Quarter afterward for dinner, all within a few minutes on foot.
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