Kaiyuan Temple Great Hero Hall: Bell

TAIWAN, Tainan; Qing dynasty

This is the oldest bell in Taiwan and is located in the Great Hero Hall of Kaiyuan Temple. According to the inscription, it was cast in 1695 during the time of the abbot Fuzong. The bell measures 170 cm high and 105.7 cm in diameter at the mouth. It weighs 960 kilograms, and is elliptical in shape, becoming broader towards the mouth. The waist is divided into ten panels by embossed lines. In the panels, there are inscriptions of the Heart Sutra, the Mantra for Rebirth in the Pure Land, and the names of 204 donors. The inscriptions total 1283 words, the longest inscription on a bell in Taiwan. The casting of the bell was funded by official donations and contributions from local people.