Da Zhong Temple is situated in the western sector of the northern third ring road, Beijing. Its real name is Jue Sheng (Consciouness) Temple. Because of the cultural relic, the national treasure Yong Le Huge Bell being kept in the temple, people thus call it Da Zhong Temple.
The Yong Le Huge Bell, made in the first year of Emperor Yong Le's reign of the Ning Dynasty, has had the history of 500 odd years. It was then called "Hua Yan (sumptuous) Bell. Because it is especially bulky, therefore it is also called "Huge Bell". The Yong Le Huge Bell is 46.5 tons in weight and 6.75 meters in height with a diameter of 3.3 meters. On inner and outer sides of it there typecasted clear and neat Budhist scriptures in Chinese regular script, 230, 184 characters in total, which is the only bell having the longest inscriptions in the world.
It was not an easy job to cast such a huge bell. Even to move and hang it was very tough. It is alleged that some unknown artisans who took advantage of the natural environment, dug ditches from roads in winter and poured water on them to freeze. Making use of the sliding principle, they pushed the huge bell forward step by step. And then on the base of the temple, they piled earth into a hill and again poured water on it to freeze, pushed the huge bell on top of the hill, then hung it on strong wood roof beam, shoveled out the hill and finally constructed the temple.
This bell has been well preserved. Its copper quality is not only dense and delicate, but solid also. "The words on it are clear while the ring is vigorous and stretches echo. People are accustomed to ringing the bell on the eve of every Lunar New Year.
