One of the treasures of Co Le Pagoda is the largest ancient bell in Vietnam, called Dai Hong Chung (meaning “giant bell”). In 1934, Venerable Pham The Long took over the pagoda, and in 1936, he cast a bronze bell measuring 4.20m high, 2.03m in diameter, and weighing 9 tons, and placed it in the middle of a lake in front of the main hall. The process of casting bells at that time was entirely manual, so it required a lot of effort, meticulousness, and care when doing it.
Story of the “9-ton treasure” lying in the middle of a lake
The ancient bell has been placed in the middle of a lake for nearly a century, but has never rung once. Dai Hong Chung carries within it a story from history and is a witness to the years of fighting the French.
Co Le Pagoda is located in Co Le Commune, Ninh Binh Province. Co Le Pagoda was built during the reign of Ly Than Tong (1116 – 1138), founded by the monk Nguyen Minh Khong to worship Buddha.
After many historical ups and downs, by the end of the 19th century, Co Le Pagoda only had a small abandoned hermitage left. In 1902, Venerable Pham Quang Tuyen came to preside over the pagoda and donated to its rebuilding. With his design talent, Abbot Pham Quang Tuyen and the people rebuilt the pagoda using available materials such as bricks, lime, mortar, molasses, and special paper. Following Venerable Pham Quang Tuyen and Venerable Pham The Long, later generations of abbots called on Buddhist followers to contribute to the construction and completion of additional worship structures that integrate with the overall landscape, thereby enhancing the pagoda’s grandeur.
In particular, behind the pagoda is a large lake; in the middle of the lake is a bell, considered a unique feature of Co Le Pagoda. The bell has been preserved for nearly a century and is a treasure that attracts visitors from all over to explore and learn about its uniqueness.
This bell is called Dai Hong Chung, cast in 1936, presided over by Venerable Pham The Long. According to the monks and local people living near the pagoda, during the process of melting bronze to cast the bell, many people took off their rings and gold bracelets and melted them into the bronze, with the desire to contribute a small part and direct their wishes to the Buddha in prayer for peace. The metal has been refined through fire to become a bell, making the bell last over time, even without being cleaned, but still beautiful in an ancient way.
According to measurements, the bell of Co Le pagoda is 4.2 m high, 2.2 m in diameter, 8 cm thick, and weighs 9,000 kg. The mouth of the bell has lotus-petal motifs; the body has floral and leaf motifs, rivers, and some Chinese characters. The bell handle is shaped like a pair of strong dragons, their tails touching. On the body of the bell is engraved the words “Bronze bell weighing 9000kg cast in 1936”.
According to Buddhism, the Dai Hong Chung bell is usually rung at the beginning and end of the night. The bell at the beginning of the night reminds people to let go of impermanence, to calm themselves down, and rest. The bell at the end of the night awakens people to practice and start a new day.
However, when the giant bell of Co Le pagoda was finished casting, due to the widespread war, the people in the area were careful to guard against sabotage by the French and hid the precious bell under the lake. Peace was restored in 1954. The bell was raised and placed on the arch bridge in front of the pagoda for visitors to admire.
Source: collected by An
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