- TURY.CLUB
- Tourist Objects
- China
- Beijing (Peking)
- Temple of the Great Bell
The Temple of the Great Bell is located in China, in the city of Beijing, in the Haidian District. The temple was built in 1733, during the reign of Emperor Yongzheng from the Qing Dynasty, and was originally called Jiuyeshenshi (Temple of Awakening). The Jyushengs began to be called the Temple of the Great Bell after, in 1743, during the reign of Emperor Qianlong, a giant Buddhist bell, the “King of Ancient Bells,” was moved here from the Temple of Longevity. The bell, one of the largest in the world, was cast in 1403, in the first year of the reign of Emperor Zhu Di (Yongle) from the Ming Dynasty. The bell weighs 46.5 tons, its height is 6.94 meters, its diameter is 3.3 meters, and the alloy from which it is cast includes copper, tin, lead, gold and silver. Buddhist aphorisms (sutras) are engraved on the outer and inner surfaces of the "giant", a total of 227,000 characters. The sound volume of this bell reaches 120 decibels, its ringing is heard at a distance of 15 kilometers. The frequency of sound vibrations varies from 22 to 800 Hertz, and the sound emitted by the bell is characterized by acoustic experts as "rich, deep and melodic." To place the Yunle bell, a bell tower was built - the Great Bell Hall. The height of the bell tower is 16.7 meters; it has a square base and a round, domed roof. The bell hangs on wooden beams laid in three layers, the ceiling is planned so that the weight of the bell is evenly distributed over the entire structure. Beams are mounted on eight columns with a slight bias towards the bell, which allows you to absorb not only the vibrations of the bell itself, but also the strength of the shocks during earthquakes. Yunle Bell has many traditions and beliefs. On the eve of Chinese New Year, it should be hit 108 times. This number corresponds to the year in the Buddhist calendar. In addition, according to Buddhist philosophy, a person can have 108 problems that disappear with every bang. For some time, after the fall of the Qing Dynasty, the Great Bell Temple still functioned, in the middle of the 20th century, shops of the Beijing Food Factory were located on its territory. In 1980, work began on the restoration of the temple, and in 1985 the Museum of Ancient Bells was opened in it, the collection of which consists of several hundred bells cast in different periods of Chinese history. Among the exhibits of the museum there are real rarities - bells from the ancient state of Zeng, Qianlong Court Bell, Tanzhe Bell and others. The Temple of the Great Bell is included in the list of cultural monuments protected by the state, thousands of tourists visit it, and tens of thousands of people come to hear the ring of the Yongle bell on New Year's Eve.
