Yinchuan's Drum Tower anchors the old city district and the pedestrian street that runs in front of it. Like most Chinese drum towers, it once housed the drums and bells that marked the hours and called citizens to attention in times of emergency.
Today the area around the Drum Tower is the most atmospheric part of the city — lined with Hui Muslim restaurants, snack stalls, and shops selling prayer rugs and traditional embroidery. The building itself has been restored, but it retains its traditional multi-tiered silhouette and is worth climbing for the view down the pedestrian precinct below.