The Great Iron Bell of Yushe County

The Great Iron Bell of Yushe County

The Great Iron Bell of Yushe County is a cultural relic protected at the provincial level in Shanxi Province.

The Great Iron Bell

The Great Iron Bell (First Batch of Provincial Cultural Relics)

Era: Song Dynasty

Location: East of Cangshan Village, Changchi Town, Yushe County

Originally part of the main hall of the West Temple in the county town of Yushe, it was later moved to the Da Wang Temple for preservation and is now hung in the bell pavilion of the South Cave at the Cangshan Shrine. Cast in the sixth year of the Xuanhe era of the Song Dynasty (1124). Height: 210 cm, Diameter: 286 cm, Circumference: 900 cm, Wall thickness: 4 cm, Weight: approximately 2000 kg. The dragon-shaped knob has a coiled body forming a ring. Below the knob is a ring of inverted lotus petals, followed by two rows of inscriptions cast in the bell. These are divided into squares by lines, with a sunflower-shaped rim. The inscriptions record the casting time, location, and the names of donors.

Originally part of the main hall of the West Temple in the county town of Yushe, it was later moved to the Da Wang Temple for preservation and is now hung in the bell pavilion of the South Cave at the Cangshan Shrine.

The iron bell was originally housed in the West Temple main hall within the compound of the Yushe County Committee. In 1987, it was relocated to the Da Wang Temple in Xiguan, and later moved again to the Spring and Autumn Warring States City at Cangshan in Yushe County. It is a key cultural relic under the protection of Shanxi Province.

Further Reading:

· First Batch of Provincial Cultural Relics Protected in Shanxi Province