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Da Zhong Temple
 Da Zhong Temple is situated in the western sector of
the northern third ring road, Beijing. Its real name is Jue Sheng (Consciousness)
Temple. Because of the cultural relic, the national treasure Yong Le
Huge Bell being kept in the temple, people thus call it Da Zhong
Temple.
The Yong Le Huge Bell, made in the first year of
Emperor Yong Le's reign of the Ning Dynasty, has had the history of
500 odd years. It was then called "Hua Yan (sumptuous) Bell. Because
it is especially bulky, therefore it is also called "Huge Bell". The
Yong Le Huge Bell is 46.5 tons in weight
 and 6.75 meters in height
with a diameter of 3.3 meters. On inner and outer sides of it there typecasted clear and neat Buddhist scriptures in Chinese regular
script, 230, 184 characters in total, which is the only bell having
the longest inscriptions in the world.
It was not an easy job to cast such a huge bell. Even
to move and hang it was very tough. It is alleged that some unknown
artisans who took advantage of the natural environment, dug ditches
from roads in winter and poured water on them to freeze. Making use of
the sliding principle, they pushed the huge bell forward step by step.
And then on the base of the temple, they piled earth into a hill and
again poured water on it to freeze, pushed the huge bell on top of the
hill, then hung it on strong wood roof beam, shoveled out the hill and
finally constructed the temple.
This bell has been well preserved. Its copper quality
is not only dense and delicate, but solid also. "The words on it are
clear while the ring is vigorous and stretches echo. People are
accustomed to ringing the bell on the eve of every Lunar New Year. |
