Mituo Temple Great Hero Hall: Bell

TAIWAN, Tainan; Qing dynasty

Confiscated by the Japanese army near the end of World War II (1939–1945), the bell was returned to Mituo Temple in 1963.
The bell measures 94 cm high and 53 cm in diameter at the mouth. The lip is in the shape of a lotus leaf and the waist is divided into upper and lower sections by embossed lines. There are 20 panels with inscriptions recording its origin and the process of construction, together with Buddhist verses. From one of the inscriptions, it can be determined that the bell was cast in 1858 to pray for peace of the nation. The donors included monks Dayuan and Zhenglin, and it was overseen by Shi Changyi. The verses in praise of the Amitabha Pure Land provide evidence of the flourishing of Pure Land practice in Taiwan during this time.