The majestic and simple Bell Tower was designed by Sun Zhixia, one of the first generation of modern architects in China, and built by Chu Nanqiang, the first magistrate of Nantong County in the Republic of China. The lofty western-style Bell Tower was deliberately placed in front of the old Watchtower, the symbol of feudal sovereignty. The contradiction and unity of the arrangement bears witness to historical change in a symbolic architectural statement relatively rare in China.

Bell tower of Nantong [Photo/mlhaohe.com]