Museum of Ancient Bells in Dazhong Temple

The Ancient Bell Museum in Dazhong Temple is the only museum of its kind in China. The temple itself was built in 1733. It housed a giant Buddhist bell cast in the XV century. The museum exhibits more than seven hundred bells made of bronze, iron and jade. The oldest bell dates from the Western Zhou period. The exposition of the museum consists of bells of various periods, including modern specimens from China and other countries. The jewel of the museum collection is the Yongle Bell. It is 5.6 meters high and weighs 46.6 tons, making it one of the largest bells in the world.