Close to Bell Tower

The name of Bell Tower Hutong originates in the 1940s, but it has a long history of formation. Emperor Yongle moved in Beijing and then built Bell Tower and Drum Tower while he built the palace in Ming dynasty. Although the Hutong is only 757 meters, the existence of them makes it eye-catching. They are the famous landmark building of old Beijing. From 8, 8th, 2008 then on, there are 29 “footprints” of Olympic Games towards the “bird's nest” step by step towards.

There is a desolate legend about this bronze bell. It’s said the composition of copper paste can not reach the requirements when building it. The final time is coming, the craftsman is in fatal disaster. To save her father, the daughter jumps into the smelting furnace, when the craftsman rescues his daughter only to grab one of her shoes. Bell is done, there is always the sound of the shoes. People say that the craftsman comes to find her daughter’s shoes. To commemorate his daughter, the goddess temple was built, which is namely the black tiger alley now.

This brick and stone towers have two floors: there is an arched door on all four sides of the tower on the first floor, and you can go up to the second floor through stone stairs. The same exists on the first floor. An arched door was also built on the four sides of the second floor. Additionally, there is a stone window on each side of the four doors. Hanging on an eight-square wooden frame of the second floor, the bell in this tower is the largest and heaviest in China. It is 7.02 meters (23 feet) high including the pendants, with a weight of 63 tons (138,891 pounds). The bell was made of copper, and you can hear its round and clear sound from far away. The two 2-meter-long (2 yards) wooden logs hanging sideward are used to ring the bell.
It is regarded as China's “king of the bell”. Nowadays, when it comes to 12:00 at night of New Year’s Eve, the New Year bell just comes from here.
  

This is tricycle scene in the Huntong.

This is the scenery along the street.

The skate boy attracts people’s attention.

Kicking shuttlecock is appropriate for the old and young, look, they are having a great time.

The traditional dwellings are at southwest of the Bell Tower.