Built in 1379, Kaifeng's drum tower was originally located west of here and this site belonged to the bell tower. In the late Ming dynasty, a sickly governor decided that the towers' feng shui was to blame for his ill health and ordered that the drums and bells be swapped. The drum tower remained here until it was damaged in 1948 and demolished in 1976. This 2013 reconstruction houses both bells and drums (big and small) but the view has the most appeal.
Come early evening, the upper levels of the tower are perfect for watching the night market being set up.