Bongdoksa Temple Bell - Bongdoksa-jong (English: Pongdoksa-jong)

Japanese: 奉徳寺鐘 - ほうとくじしょう（英語表記）Pongdoksa‐jong

It is known as the most elegant giant bell among all Korean bells. There are two inscriptions cast in Chinese characters on the side of the bell. Although it is badly worn overall, the inscriptions say that it was originally called King Seongdeok's Divine Bell and hung at Bongdeoksa Temple, located in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, the royal capital of Silla. Bongdeoksa Temple was founded in 738 (26th year of Gaewan) by King Hyoseong to commemorate his father, King Seongdeok. However, King Hyoseong died after only five years on the throne, and his younger brother King Gyeongdeok succeeded him. He attempted to cast a huge temple bell using 120,000 jin of copper, but it was not completed during his lifetime. King Gyeongdeok's son King Hyegong finally completed the bell in 771 (6th year of Daeryak), following his father's wishes.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

いわゆる朝鮮鐘のうちで，最も優美な巨鐘として知られる。鐘腹の側面に2ヵ所，漢文で陽鋳された銘文がある。全体に磨滅はひどいが，銘文によると，当時，聖徳大王神鐘と呼ばれて，新羅の王都，現在の韓国慶尚北道慶州市にあった奉徳寺にかかっていたものである。奉徳寺は，738年(開元26)に，孝成王によって，父聖徳王追福のため創建されたものである。ところが，孝成王は存位わずか5年で没したため，弟の景徳王がその位を継ぎ，そして12万斤の銅を用いて，一大梵鐘を鋳造しようとしたが，在世中に完成せず，景徳王の子恵恭王が，771年(大暦6)にようやく父王の意志を継いで完成したという経緯がある。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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