Function wise, Chinese bells fall into four types: musical bells, such as the Chime of Bells dating back to the Warring States Period (476-221BC); imperial court bells, such as the Qianlong Bell; bells for sounding the night watches, such as the Big Bell in Beijing Bell Tower; and religious bells, including the Buddhist or Taoist Bells, such as the world-famous Yongle Bell dating back to the Ming Dynasty.

Shape wise, there are round and flat bells. As to the former, the transverse section is round; bells of this kind include the imperial court bells, the night bells and the Buddist bells as well as the bells found in western churches. The latter are also referred to as tile bells, as the transverse much resembles two arches;the Chime of Bells dating back to the Warring States Period falls into this category.