Beijing Drum Tower (Gulou)

Beijing's towers are, of course, the biggest in China (though Xi'an's Drum and Bell Towers may be more famous). The Drum Tower, which stands just north of the Bell Tower, was erected in 1272 AD during the Yuan Dynasty and rebuilt in 1420 by the Ming Dynasty, finally being refurbished in 1800 during the reign of the Qing.

With the fall of the Qing in 1912, the towers ceased to mark time, though the Bell Tower's bell is now rung on occasion and the drums are regularly struck 108 times to sound out Chinese tradition. Both massive time-pieces are open to the public.

Constructed on a four-meter-high base on the capital's ancient north-south axis, the Drum Tower rises a total of 47 meters and features a single large, 1.5 meter diameter drum that bears scars from the Japanese invasion of 1900.

Climbing the narrow and steep stairs as they wind their way upward through the stony bulk of the tower can induce a touch of claustrophobia, but the vista of the city one is rewarded with upon reaching the top more than makes up for it, especially on a rare true blue-sky day.