Yanmen Pass was an important defensive
choke point for ancient and medieval China. The nearest major town to its south was the seat of what is now
Dai County, previously known variously as
Guangwu,
Yanmen, and Daizhou. The tower was constructed in
Hongwu 7 (1374
CE), for the purpose of
military observation and
signaling by means of
drums. That original structure was destroyed by a fire in
Chenghua 7 (1471). The present tower was built on the site of the first in Chenghua 12 (1476). It was further restored 4 times under the
Qing, as well as in 1957, 1976, and 1986 under the
People's Republic. The more recent renovations dealt with water damage on the first floor. The Bianjing Drum Tower was named a
Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level by the
State Administration of Cultural Heritage in 2001. ==Structure==