[2] 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.

[3] The traditional Chinese units of measurement are 7 jian in length and 5 in width; it has 3 stories and reaches 26 meters (85 ft) high.

[4] Its two large placards read "First Tower of Yanmen" (t 鴈門第一樓, s 雁门第一楼, Yànmén Dìyī Lóu) and "Audible in All Directions" (t 聲聞四達, s 声闻四达, Shēng Wén Sì Dá).

[5] One artifact is a 1.9-meter (6 ft 3 in)-tall stone lantern (t 燈臺, s 灯台, dēngtái) that was carved into the shape of Mount Wutai in Dongzhang c. 720.