The Pyongyang Bell is one of the

National Treasures of North Korea A National Treasure (국보; 國寶 : ) is a tangible artifact, site, or building deemed by the Government of North Korea to have significant historical or artistic value to the country. History The first list of Korean cultural treasures was des ...

. The current bell was cast between June and September 1726 during the Ri dynasty to replace an earlier one that was destroyed by fire in 1714. The bell was rung to announce invasions, natural disasters, New Year's Day and other major events. In 1925, the bell was located on East Gate Street, inside the great East Gate of the city of Pyongyang.

Details

The bell is 3.1 m in height with a diameter at the mouth of 1.6 m. It weighs around 13 000 kg. The metal is 24 cm thick. It is made mostly of bronze, but contains 35 different metals. A detailed record was kept on the casting of the bell. According to a 1925 report, the metals required to cast the bell were collected among various local groups; the Government Treasury exchanged

zinc Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Zinc is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodi ...

for 1500 pounds of unrefined

copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...

, also added was 3573 pounds and 4 yang of old coin metal, 341 pounds of

tin Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn (from la, stannum) and atomic number 50. Tin is a silvery-coloured metal. Tin is soft enough to be cut with little force and a bar of tin can be bent by hand with little effort. When bent, t ...

, 2120 pounds of old broken bell metal. The government warehouse supplied 382 pounds of

lead Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...

and brass. The War Department contributed 370 pounds 5 yang of copper vessels and 29 pounds 13 yang of refined copper. Merchants from Seoul contributed old iron vessels equal to 1296 pounds and 8 yang. The various sub-prefectures of the country gave 1268 pounds and 8 yang of old coin metal. Local priests contributed 282 pounds and 5 yang of iron. Merchants of the country gave 4161 pounds and 8 yang of

wrought iron Wrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon content (less than 0.08%) in contrast to that of cast iron (2.1% to 4%). It is a semi-fused mass of iron with fibrous slag inclusions (up to 2% by weight), which give it a wood-like "grain" ...

, 1000 pounds and 12 yang of refined copper. The various prefectures throughout Korea exchanged their surplus grain for 4810 pounds and 8 yang of lead and old coin metal.

References

{{coord, 39.0228, N, 125.7569, E, source:wikidata, display=title National Treasures of North Korea Individual bells Buildings and structures in Pyongyang 1726 in Korea