Ancient Bells Recording History

(There are countless ancient Chinese poems and essays which indicate the significance of bells in Chinese culture, but to read and imagine is one thing, to listen and experience is quite another. To get first-hand experience of this sacred musical instrument, the best place to go is the Great Bell Temple Museum, located in the famous Great Bell Temple in west Beijing. The museum provides an opportunity for you to view history from a unique perspective.)

Stepping through the gate of the Great Bell Temple, I was immediately overcome by the tranquil Buddhist chanting and the solemn tolling of the bells. This, combined with the high red walls and towering pine and cypress trees in the courtyard, completely exclude the hustle and bustle of the modern city, creating an oasis for worshippers and visitors.

The Temple, built in 1733 during the Qing dynasty, covers an area of 30,000 square metres. Designed meticulously, the magnificent temple was the site where the imperial family prayed to Buddha and held other religious services. It’s now called the Great Bell Temple because it houses the largest bell in China, which has a history of over 600 years.

The Great Bell Temple Museum was founded in 1985. It’s the only museum in China, which specializes in the collection, exhibition, and study of ancient bells. Each of the 500 bells in the museum represents a different era of Chinese civilization.

As I walked through the exhibition halls, Zhang He, an official at the museum, gave me a brief introduction into the history of the bells.

“The earliest bells were made of pottery. After a day’s labor, people liked to sing and dance. On these occasions, the clay bells would be used as percussion instruments.”

Later, when metal began to be used, different kinds of bronze percussion instruments including bronze bells took the place of their pottery predecessors.

The bells serve as a chronicle of Chinese history and culture. The various styles and designs of their inscriptions, give an important insight into the art and culture of China, when the bells were cast. For example, the Buddhist bell of the Yuan Dynasty is rough, simple and undecorated --- the kind of austere design to match the bold, unrestrained character of a warrior race. While the Qianlong court bell of the Qing dynasty outshines others with its inscriptions of 22 extremely life-like dragons and stream-like clouds. This richly decorative style of art reflects the prosperity and development of the Qing society, under the reign of Emperor Qianlong.

Despite their different shapes and design, I found that they had one thing in common, their handles. Most of them were formed in the shape of a two-headed dragon, with each of the heads facing opposite directions. Zhang He explained the significance of the shape.

“In Chinese legend, nine dragons were born to the Dragon King. The youngest one, known as Pulao, was renowned for its mighty roar. People cast its image on the handle of the bells in the hope that the sound the bells made would be as powerful as Pulao’s roar.”

A bell’s most basic function is to signal the time. In the Chinese language, the character used for ancient bells and modern clocks is the same. The bronze bell which now hangs on the Bell Tower at the center of Beijing was cast during the Ming dynasty. It announced the time for the whole city during both the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Every morning, it was rung to mark the dawning of a new day. Though we no longer have to rely on bells to tell us the time, they’re an important part of our cultural heritage and have remained a part of daily life.

And Zhang He told me that bells have many other functions in Chinese culture.

Bells played an important role at religious events after the introduction of Buddhism into China during the late Eastern Han Dynasty. With their imposing shape and deep, solemn sound, round bells were widely used in Buddhism, and Taoism, a religion that has its roots in China. As the saying goes, “Where there is a temple, there are bells; without bells, there would be no temple.” At a Buddhist or a Taoist temple, a bell is struck in honor of the gods. The world-famous Yongle Bell, the most valuable exhibit in the museum, is believed to have been cast for a specific religious purpose. With each stroke of the bell, it symbolically rings out the names of the Buddhas inscribed on it.

Zhang He said that bells were a sacred musical instrument. They could be used to express emotions, like the early pottery bells, or to produce entertaining music, like chime-bells. I was privileged enough to hear Zhang He play the last part of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony on a replica of the chime-bells made 2000 years ago. Hearing a masterpiece of classical western music played on the ancient Chinese instrument left a lasting impression on me.

In addition to their musical function, chime bells symbolized rank and power in ancient China. The set of chime-bells with a history of 2,400 years unearthed from the tomb of the Marquis Yi of a small kingdom called Zeng in Hubei Province in central China, clearly indicated his elevated social status. The official explained that the number of bells was used to indicate the position of a person in society. Evidence of this can also found in the rituals of the Zhou Dynasty about 2,700 years ago, which ruled that “the emperor could have bells on four sides of his palace; whereas a duke or a prince could only have bells on three sides of their residences; a minister could have only two, while an official only one.”

Bells were used by the imperial court to herald important occasions. During the Qing Dynasty, whenever Emperor Qianlong held court, the Court Bell was used to summon his courtiers. The whole procedure must have been very grand and impressive. But Fate was not at all favorable towards the bell. Zhang He had a very interesting anecdote.

“After the bell was put to use at the court, several fires broke out in the Forbidden City. Unfortunately, the bell was thought to have some mysterious connection with the incidents, so it was removed by Emperor Qianlong to the Taoist Temple of White Clouds, where it spent the rest of its days in obscurity until it was moved to the Great Bell Temple for exhibition.”

The ancient bells at the museum have many interesting stories from China’s colorful history behind them. But the history of bells doesn’t stop there. In recent years, new bells of great historical significance have been added to the museum’s collection, including two which marked the return of Hong Kong and Macao to China.

Throughout the year the museum exhibits various kinds of bells and sponsors research and exchange activities related to the study of them. If you would like to find out more about the museum’s collection, why not come and explore this world of relics at the Great Bell Temple for yourself.