Custom of ringing bells at Mount Wutai

In Buddhism, objects such as bells play an indispensable part in meditation or prayer rituals as they indicate important concepts. It is seen as a way to symbolize Buddha’s voice. The sound of the bell equals that of the Dharma, the law or the entity, which is to keep order of things in the universe.

Some children strike a bell with enthusiasm while the rest are praying with fingers crossed. [Photo/sxwts.gov.cn]

Traditionally, the majority of visitors or devotees strike a bell for three consecutive times upon traveling to a temple. The first sound of the bell represents blessing, the second for prosperity, and the last one is longevity.

Mount Wutai has 55 bells in total. The Youming Bell in the Bell Tower of Xiantong Temple is the largest bronze bell on the mountain. The bell is 2.5m high, the thickness of its body is about 8cm, and has an outer diameter of 1.8m. It weighs 9,999.5 jin (4,999.75 kg). It was firstly competed in the 48th year of the Ming Dynasty’s Emperor Wanli (1620). A Buddhist sutra of more than 10,000 Chinese characters was engraved in regular scripts over the body of the bell, which can still be clearly recognized. Once rung, the bell’s sound lasts for a long time.

The Bell Tower of Xiantong Temple at Mount Wutai and the Youming Bell inside it. [Photo/360doc.com]

The Bell Tower of Xiantong Temple at Mount Wutai and the Youming Bell inside it. [Photo/360doc.com]

The Youming Bell and the Bell Tower were originally created to spread the Dharma through the lasting sound of bell and expected to evoke and call all mortal beings to meditation and mindfulness. In the Bell Tower, the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is enshrined.

The Youming Bell also contributes a lot to the fame of Xiantong Temple around the mountain, and even throughout the whole country.