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Bell Tower is supposed to be in the centre of the world and exactly in the centre of China.

In Chinese, the name of their country means “a country in the centre” and its central point is located exactly in Xi’an, one of China’s ancient capitals. Bell Tower is in the centre of Xi’an.

It was built in 1384 during the early Ming Dinasty by Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang and it was moved to its current location in 1582, as the city grew and the geographical centre changed. The tower was moved 1,000 meters east of the original site and the relocation involved only a new base, all other original parts remained, making it a notable achievement in the architectural history in China. In the past times, vehicles were allowed to pass through the arches and under the tower.

For over 1,000 years, Xi’an was the capital of twelve imperial dynasties. During the Tang dynasty (618-907) it was the largest city in the world, with a population of over one million, connected to many regions in Asia and Europe via the Silk Route and the thousands of foreign merchants that lived here.