Study On The Restoration Of The Drum Tower In Nanjing During Hongwu Period Of The Ming Dynasty

The drum tower in Nanjing which consists of the wooden tower and the lowermasonry made of brick was built in the fifth year of Hongwu period (1382A.D.). Itwas located on a hill in the center of the city. The wooden part was destroyed in thewars at the End of the Ming Dynasty and the Beginning of the Qing Dynasty. Theplatform made of brick is the original one built in Ming Dynasty, while the extantwooden part was built in Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty. The function changedfrom timing and alarming to protecting the stele when it was rebuilt, so the scale andthe details were different. The renovation of the drum tower and the founding of thePark of the Drum Tower made the architectural language and its position in the cityunclear. The maintenance focused on the historic building after1949, but the form ofthe original drum tower in the Ming Dynasty has not been studied.The details of the platform and the ratios between different parts are analysed;the original wooden tower is restored in this dissertation which is based on the resultof the research on the platform built in the Ming Dynasty and refered to the extantChinese drum towers, bell towers, city gate towers and other historic buildings built atthe same time.Fristly, the history of drum towers in China, the construction and renovation ofthe drum tower in Nanjing are outlined, and the importance of the restoration isconfirmed. Secondly, the connection between the city of Nanjing in the Ming Dynastyand the drum tower is analyzed from three angles, the relation between the drumtower and the ancient urban planning, the advantages of site on the top of the hill, thereason of the particular orientation of the drum tower in Nanjing. Thirdly, thecharacteristic of the platform is speculated, including the foundation, walling, arches,and the practice of the top of the platform. The space of the masonry is discussed intwo aspects, the ratios and the vertical traffic space. In addition, the scale of the drumtower in Nanjing in the Ming Dynasty, including plane, sections, Dougongs andelevations of the wooden tower is analysed. The possibilities of the practice on themajor carpentry, the joinery, the paintings and the glaze are advanced. Lastly, thedesign drawing is in the appendix.