Mingun Bell

MYANMAR, Mandalay; Konbaung dynasty (1752–1885)

Located to the north of Mingun Pagoda, the bell was cast by the decree of King Bodawpaya (reigned 1782–1819) of the Konbaung dynasty and constituted one of his four great deeds. Work on the bell began in 1808 and finished in 1810. It was the heaviest functioning bell in the world until it was superseded by a Chinese bell in 2000, and is still the biggest bell in Myanmar.
The bronze bell is 3.66 m high with a 5 m diameter mouth. Two mythical creatures sit on either side of the crown from which the bell is suspended. Apart from some engraved lines on either side of the bead line, the bell is undecorated. It is cast mainly from bronze, and an alloy of gold, silver, iron, and lead, which result in a beautifully unique sound when the bell is struck.
The inscription “55555” in Burmese represents the weight of the bell in viss, which is the equivalent of just over 90 t. According to an inscription on the beam, the bell was cast in 1810 on an island of the coast of the Irrawaddy River. It was transported by barge to Mingun in Mandalay.