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The Mingun Bell ( my-Mymr, မင်းကွန်းခေါင်းလောင်းတော်ကြီး ) is a
The outer diameter of the rim of the bell is . The height of the bell is on the exterior and in the interior. The outside circumference at the rim is . The bell is thick and stands high from the rim to the top.
The bell is uncracked and in good ringing condition. The bell does not have a clapper but is rung by striking the outer edge.
in Burma''
pages 318–319. London: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Co., Ltd. Felice Beato captured a photograph of the bell prior to its resuspension.
Image:Mingun Bell 00467.jpg, Before 1896 – a picture by Felice Beato
Image:Mingun Bell-Zayat.JPG, Zayat which houses the Mingun Bell
Image:Mingun Bell-Plaque.JPG, Plaque in front of the Mingun Bell
Image:Suspension of the Mingun Bell.jpg, Suspension of the Mingun Bell
Image:Beneathmingunbell.jpg, Children under Mingun Bell, showing graffiti as of December 2014
Image:Mingun Bell 2016.JPG, Mingun Bell 2016
The Mingun Bell in detail
{{Buddhist sites in Myanmar Individual bells in Myanmar Pitched percussion instruments Culture of Myanmar Buddhist art Buildings and structures completed in 1810
bell
A bell /ˈbɛl/ () is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be m ...
located in Mingun, Sagaing Region
Sagaing Region (, ; formerly Sagaing Division) is an administrative divisions of Myanmar, administrative region of Myanmar, located in the north-western part of the country between latitude 21° 30' north and longitude 94° 97' east. It is border ...
, Myanmar. It is located approximately north of Mandalay
Mandalay is the second-largest city in Myanmar, after Yangon. It is located on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, 631 km (392 mi) north of Yangon. In 2014, the city had a population of 1,225,553.
Mandalay was founded in 1857 by Ki ...
on the western bank of the Irrawaddy River
The Irrawaddy River (, , Ayeyarwady) is the principal river of Myanmar, running through the centre of the country. Myanmar’s most important commercial waterway, it is about 1,350 miles (2,170 km) long. Originating from the confluence of the ...
. It was the heaviest functioning bell in the world at several times in history.
Description
The weight of the bell is 55,555 viss (). This number is conveniently remembered by many people in Myanmar as a mnemonic "''Min Hpyu Hman Hman Pyaw''" ( my-Mymr, မင်းဖြူမှန်မှန်ပြော), with the consonants representing the number 5 in Burmese astronomy and numerology. The weight of the bell and its mnemonic words are written on the surface of the bell in white.
The outer diameter of the rim of the bell is . The height of the bell is on the exterior and in the interior. The outside circumference at the rim is . The bell is thick and stands high from the rim to the top.
The bell is uncracked and in good ringing condition. The bell does not have a clapper but is rung by striking the outer edge.
History
Casting of the bell started in 1808 and was finished by 1810. King Bodawpaya (r. 1782–1819) had this gigantic bell cast to go with his hugestupa
In Buddhism, a stupa (, ) is a domed hemispherical structure containing several types of sacred relics, including images, statues, metals, and '' śarīra''—the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns. It is used as a place of pilgrimage and m ...
, Mingun Pahtodawgyi. The bell was said to have been cast on the opposite side of the river and was transported by using two boats, which after crossing the river, proceeded up two specially built canals. The canals were then dammed and the bell was lifted by raising the water level by the addition of earth into the blocked canal. In this way the bell was originally suspended.
The Mingun Bell was knocked off its supports as a result of a large earthquake on 23 March 1839. It was resuspended by the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company in March 1896 using screw jacks and levers using funds from public subscription.Bird, George W (1897)in Burma''
pages 318–319. London: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Co., Ltd. Felice Beato captured a photograph of the bell prior to its resuspension.
Current status
At 90 tons, the Mingun Bell reigned as the largest ringing bell in the world until 2000, when it was eclipsed by the 116-ton Bell of Good Luck at the Foquan Temple,Pingdingshan
Pingdingshan ( zh, s=平顶山, t=平頂山, p=Píngdǐngshān), also known as Eagle City ( zh, s=鹰城, p=Yīngchéng, t=鷹城), is a prefecture-level city in central Henan province, China. It had 4,904,701 inhabitants at the 2010 census who ...
, Henan
Henan; alternatively Honan is a province in Central China. Henan is home to many heritage sites, including Yinxu, the ruins of the final capital of the Shang dynasty () and the Shaolin Temple. Four of the historical capitals of China, Lu ...
, China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
.
Gallery
See also
* List of heaviest bellsReferences
External links
The Mingun Bell in detail
{{Buddhist sites in Myanmar Individual bells in Myanmar Pitched percussion instruments Culture of Myanmar Buddhist art Buildings and structures completed in 1810