Iron Bell of Jeondeungsa Temple

This iron bell came from China during the forced requisitioning of metal in the late Japanese colonial period. After liberation it was discovered at the Bupyeong munitions arsenal and moved to Jeondeungsa Temple, where it has been preserved ever since. Standing 1.64 m high with a mouth diameter of 1 m, the bell displays the typical form and carving technique of Chinese bells, clearly distinct from Korean bells. At the top of the bell, two dragons crouch back to back to form the hanging loop; there is no sound tube to aid resonance, but instead a hole is bored through the centre of the top plate. The upper part of the body is encircled with the Eight Trigrams, and three horizontal bands running around the middle of the body divide it into two large sections, each further divided into eight square panels. An inscription is carved in these square panels, from which we learn that the bell belonged to Sungmyeongsa Temple on Mount Baegam in Henan Province, China, and that it was cast in the fourth year of Emperor Zhezong of the Northern Song, corresponding to the second year of King Sukjong of Goryeo (1097). Although made of iron, the bell produces a clear, refreshing tone, and bearing an inscription from the Northern Song period of China, it is a valuable source for the study of Chinese bells.

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Where it is

Region

Ganghwa, Incheon

Designation

Treasure · 보물