As an ancient timekeeping tool in China, it is said that the clock appeared in the period of the Yellow Emperor Yan Di. Since ancient times, beating bells and drums has also become the custom of emperors, temples and Li people to offer sacrifices to gods and buddhas, pray for blessings, avoid disasters and exorcise evil spirits.
According to historical records, there was a system of "beating drums at dawn to wake people up, and ringing bells at night to wake people up" in Han Dynasty. With the introduction of Buddhism into China in the Han Dynasty, bells and drums began to become attached to Buddhism. Many temples have bells and drums on the second floor on the east and west sides. Bells and drums are not only used for Buddhist ceremonies in temples, but also used to be "time stations" in old towns and villages. For example, in the ancient Lama Temple in Beijing, monks go to the temple to chant Buddhist scriptures every day, and they all ring bells and drums. When they arrived in Yin Shi, the drums roared and once resounded through 49 cities.
On the central axis of Beijing, the Bell and Drum Tower is on the second floor, which was built at the northern end of Di 'anmen Street in Yongle period of Ming Dynasty. The front and rear floors are placed vertically, which is magnificent. There is a 63-ton bronze clock hanging on the bell tower, which is 47.9 meters high. There is a big drum and 24 small drums in the 46.7m-high drum tower, and there are 25 drums in the drum tower. Today's bell and drum tower was rebuilt during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. From the Ming and Qing Dynasties to the early years of the Republic of China, the second floor of the Bell and Drum Tower was always responsible for telling time inside and outside Beijing. It can be said that old Beijing once fell asleep and was awakened by the sound of the bell and drum tower.
In the early Qing dynasty, the bell and drum tower were required to tell the time day and night, and it was changed to night watchman after Qianlong. Since then, the night watchman in charge of the bell and drum tower in the Qing Dynasty has a very regular time, paying attention to the order and rhythm of knocking at the door. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, there was a saying among the people, "Tight, slow, slow, slow", describing the bell tower and drum tower in Xuan Tong's period ringing twice at noon. It rings 54 times each time, and the bells and drums are twice 108 times.
Although there are similarities and differences in musical instruments, rhythms and rhythms used in temples at home and abroad, they are all 108 beats. According to China's ancient books, Zhong Juyang was on the ground, while ringing the bell called Yang from the ground. About from the Han Dynasty, the ancients had the custom of ringing the bell to call Yang at night and beating the drum to avoid Yin during the day. The ancients thought that the New Year's Eve before Yuan Zaju was the end of the year, and it was the most cloudy day of the year. At midnight on New Year's Eve, Yin Qi is very high. At this time, you should ring the bell and drum to avoid Yin Qi and welcome Yang Qi. The custom of "ringing bells and drums to welcome the new year" has been going on in ancient cities of China.
"When you hear the bell, you are worried, wise and bodhi." Why do you have to ring the drums and bells for sex on New Year's Eve 108 times? In the Ming Dynasty, Lang Ying said in the book "Seven Manuscripts": "He who knocks 180 times is one year old. There are twelve months, twenty-four days and seventy-two days in a year, which is exactly the number. " Buddhism also believes that 108 can eliminate 108 kinds of troubles. There is another saying that 108 contains 12 Jiu, Yijing. Nine is considered as the largest positive number and the pole of this number. Nine is homophonic with the dragon, which means noble, auspicious and lasting. There are twelve months in a year, and twelve times of "nine" is exactly one hundred and eight.