Strolling in Beijing·Shichahai/Yandai Xiejie/Bell and Drum Towers

🩴Passing through Heizhima Hutong and Fangzhuanchang Hutong, leaving Nanluoguxiang, crossing Di'anmen Outer Street, and entering Wannian Hutong, you will reach the lakeside of Shichahai after coming out. Shichahai includes Qianhai, Houhai, and Xihai, with Xihai also known as Jishuitan. It was named after the ten Buddhist temples that used to surround it. 👍Shichahai is surrounded by numerous historical sites and bustling commerce, making it a famous historical and cultural district. The destination is located at the northeast corner of Qianhai, and the adjacent Yandai Xiejie is a street with a profound local atmosphere and rich old Beijing characteristics. 😜This street is only 232 meters long, and during the Qing Dynasty, it mainly dealt in smoking pipes and calligraphy and antique paintings, hence the fun name. 🛍️Today's Yandai Xiejie has already become homogenized, turning into a typical antique-style commercial street. Hurrying through it, you return to Di'anmen Outer Street and then head north to the Bell and Drum Towers. ⏱️The Bell and Drum Towers are located on the central axis of old Beijing, north of the Forbidden City and Jingshan Park, and were the time-reporting center during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. The towers were first built during the Yuan Dynasty, and were rebuilt during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Their time-reporting function was not abolished until the thirteenth year of the Republic of China (1924). 🥁Among them, the Drum Tower is located on the south side, a large red pavilion-style building, originally with 25 big drums, but now only one remains. 🛎️The Bell Tower is located on the north side, a grey brick and stone structure with a double-eaved hip roof, and the copper bell preserved inside was cast during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, weighing 63 tons. It is the earliest and heaviest time-reporting copper bell in the world, known as the 'King of Ancient Bells'. 🪁Between the Bell Tower and Drum Tower is a small square, with both buildings of similar height, but one fat and one thin, one grey and one red, standing opposite each other, solemn yet lively, and can be called a model of ancient Chinese architecture. Leaving the Bell and Drum Towers, you return to Shichahai🌊 via the alley next to Gulou West Street, which belongs to the east bank of Houhai. Next to Longhua Temple, there is a Nan Shufang📔, named after the elegant literary style of the 'Southern Study' inside the Forbidden City. It is said to be a private courtyard, very valuable🪙. On the other side of Longhua Temple, there is a garden within a garden, named Wanghai Lou Park. This is a newly built antique-style garden facing Houhai, with 'Wanghai' naturally referring to Shichahai.🏕️The pavilions in the garden pale in comparison to the azure waters of Houhai and the willows. ✨Continuing along the lakeshore, you will arrive at the former residence of Comrade Song Qingling, which was once the Mingzhu Mansion and He Shen's private residence, later the mansion of Prince Chun, and after the liberation, it was arranged by Premier Zhou to become the residence of Comrade Song Qingling in Beijing.