“Shoes,” a faint echo whispers on stormy nights. This is Tower 9. Legend says a goddess wants her slipper back. For centuries, Beijing’s rhythm was set here at Tower 9. Clang. The bell told people when to work. Bong. It signaled when to sleep. It announced the city gates’ opening and closing. Every fifteen minutes, the sound chimed across Beijing.
Located 100 meters from the Drum Tower, Tower 9 stands tall. It is a robust brick building that measures 47.9 meters. Ascend the 75 stone steps inside Tower 9. They connect the ground floor to the main building. Notice the black glazed tile roof. See the green rim covering the construction.
But how did this bell come to be? A long time ago, an iron bell hung here. Its sound was not good enough. The emperor ordered artisans to cast a better bell. Three years passed. They failed. The annoyed emperor beheaded the supervising eunuch. He gave the artisans 80 days or face the same fate.
Hua Yan, a famous artisan, took charge. He toiled day and night. His daughter, Hua Xian, noticed the furnace wasn’t hot enough. She volunteered to help. On the last day, they still couldn’t raise the temperature. Hua Xian leaped into the smelter. She sacrificed herself.
Instantly, the fire blazed. Molten copper bubbled powerfully. Hua Yan, heartbroken, ordered the casting. The copper bell was finally complete. People called Hua Xian the Bell Lady. They honored her sacrifice.
Inside Tower 9, see the octagonal bell-cot. The huge copper bell hangs inside. It reads “Yongle Fine Day, Ming Dynasty.” The bell stands 7.02 meters tall. It has a 3.4-meter diameter. It weighs 63 tons.
The bell is the biggest and heaviest ancient bell in China. It is named “King Bell”. Before skyscrapers, its sound reached for dozens of miles. An iron bell once hung here. Its sound was poor. It was replaced quickly. The iron bell remains at the Great Bell Temple’s museum.
The emperor was moved by Hua Xian’s sacrifice. He named her Goddess of the Golden Furnace. A temple honored her near the foundry. The temple is gone now. But listen closely. On special occasions, the bell still rings.
On stormy nights, it sounds like “xie.” Xie means shoes in Chinese. The girl’s spirit echoes through the bell. Mothers would tell their children to sleep. “Go to sleep. The Bell Tower is ringing. The Goddess wants her slipper back.” Today, Tower 9 stands. It silently contemplates the modern city from its height. It reminds us of Hua Xian. It reminds us of a city’s ancient rhythm.