From the Neolithic pottery bells to the bronze cymbals of the Shang Dynasty (16-11 century BC); from the hand-holding bells of the Pre-Qin times to the court bells of the Qin Dynasty (221-206BC); from "the bell ringing; the food in pot-tripod well done" which symbolized the rigid hierarchy in the Zhou Dynasty (1027-777BC) to the Yongle Bell which represented the sovereign power of the emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), China's time-honored bell family is giant and unique.

The Chime of Bells dating back to the Warring States Period

Unearthed from the tomb of the Marquis of Zeng at Leigudun in Suizhou of Central China's Hubei Province in 1978, the chime of bells is a wonderful example of Chinese bronze culture and a crystallization of the ancient civilization. Under the ritual and musical institutions in ancient times, this percussion instrument was a symbol of the owner's official rank, power and political status and transcended all other musical instruments .

The chime consists of 65 pieces, including 19 pieces of Niuzhong (a bell with a semi-circular knob on top), 45 pieces of Yongzhong (a bell with a cylindrical handle on top) and a Bo (a large bell). They were suspended from a stand in three tiers and nine groups, with a total weight of more than 2,500 kilograms. There are gold-inlaid inscriptions on every bell reflecting the development of the music at that time. Each bell could produce two notes three intervals apart. With three and a half octaves, the Yongzhong bells on the middle tier had a wide range and clear timbre, playing the major role in a performance. The big and thick Yongzhong bells on the lower tier produced a deep and long sound, creating harmony and enriching the atmosphere. The Niuzhong bells on the upper tier could be used as a supplement to the Yongzhong bells on the middle tier.

The chime is the most numerous and the best preserved in China up to now.

The Yongle Bell

The Yongle Bell, the largest of China's Buddhist bells, is known as "the King of Bell".
In 1402 during the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Di, the then King of Yan, stormed Nanjing and seized the throne. The next year, he changed the reign title to Yongle and decided to move the capital. In the first lunar month of the 19th year of the reign of Yongle (1421), Beijing became the capital.

To commemorate his great achievements and merits, he ordered the casting of the big bell in accordance to the established law contained in the Veritable Records of Taizu that "a big bell can be cast only for those who made meritorious services." He then named the bell after his reign title "Yongle". The Yongle Bell was then regarded as a "guardian" as well as a symbol of reverent imperial power after Zhu Di moved the capital to Beijing.

 

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