Newly refurbished, this famous shrine (originally called Juéshēng Temple) was once a pit stop for Qing emperors who came here to pray for rain. Today the temple is named after its massive Ming-dynasty bell (6.75m tall and weighing a hefty 46.5 tonnes), which is inscribed with Buddhist sutras, comprising more than 227,000 Chinese characters, and decorated with Sanskrit incantations.
The bell was cast during the reign of Emperor Yongle in 1406, with the tower built in 1733. To transport the bell from the foundry to the temple, a shallow canal was dug, and when it froze over in winter the bell was shunted across the ice by sled. Nowadays, the bell is rung just once a year, on Lunar New Year's Eve.
If you’re bell crazy, you’ll be spellbound by the exhibitions on bell casting, and the collection of bells from France, Russia, Japan, Korea and other nations. Also on view are copies of the bells and chimes of the Marquis of Zeng and a collection of Buddhist and Taoist bells, including vajra bells and the wind chimes hung from temple roofs and pagodas
