Ancient Bell Museum at the Great Bell Temple

Ancient Bell Museum at the Great Bell Temple

The Ancient Bell Museum at the Great Bell Temple is a cultural tourism attraction and a patriotic education base.

The Ancient Bell Museum at the Great Bell Temple is located on North Third Ring West Road in Haidian District, Beijing. It is a national key cultural relics protection unit and a thematic museum with multiple functions including the collection, preservation, exhibition, research, and development of ancient bells. Over the years, under the kind care of the Party and government, and with the active support of friends from all walks of life, the Ancient Bell Museum at the Great Bell Temple was completed in October 1985 and officially opened to the public. So far, it has gone through more than 20 years of ups and downs. The museum is dedicated to the collection of bell-related cultural relics and the research of bell culture. It actively collects bell relics, documents, and historical materials, organizes exhibitions of ancient bells, and promotes ancient Chinese bell culture. The Ancient Bell Museum at the Great Bell Temple sincerely welcomes you to experience the charm of bell culture. We believe visitors will find the visit rewarding.

Ancient Bell Museum at the Great Bell Temple

In the first month of the eleventh year of the Yongzheng reign during the Qing Dynasty (1733 AD), Emperor Yongzheng built Juesheng Temple (i.e., the Great Bell Temple).

In the winter of the twelfth year of the Yongzheng reign (1734 AD), Juesheng Temple was completed.

In the eighth year of the Qianlong reign (1743 AD), the Yongle Bell was moved to Juesheng Temple, and the project to hang the bell and construct the Bell Tower was completed.

From the eighth year of the Qianlong reign to the end of the Qing Dynasty, Juesheng Temple became a religious site for the Qing imperial family to pray for rain and worship heaven.

During the Republican era, Juesheng Temple gradually transitioned from a royal site for rain-praying rituals to a more public venue and became one of the major temple fair locations in Beijing.

In 1957, the Beijing Municipal Government designated Juesheng Temple as a municipal-level cultural relics protection unit.

On March 11, 1980, the Beijing Municipal People's Government approved the establishment of the Great Bell Temple Cultural Relics Preservation Office.

On October 4, 1985, the Ancient Bell Museum at the Great Bell Temple was established.

On December 27, 1996, the Great Bell Temple was announced by the State Council as part of the fourth group of national key cultural relics protection units.

Location

No. 31A, Great Bell Temple, North Third Ring West Road, Haidian District, Beijing

Further Reading:

· National Second-Class Museum of China