Vietnam’s largest bronze bell weighs 36 tons and is mounted above a massive bronze drum. When struck, its sound resonates up to 10 kilometers away.

The bell tower at Bai Dinh Pagoda in Ninh Binh houses both the Dai Hong Chung (Great Bronze Bell) and the largest bronze drum in Vietnam today. The tower itself is octagonal with three curved tiers, standing over 18 meters tall and spanning 17 meters wide, with two stairways for visitors and Buddhist devotees to explore both the bell and drum.

Crafted entirely by hand, the Dai Hong Chung stands 5.5 meters high, measures nearly 3.5 meters in diameter, and weighs an astounding 36 tons. It was forged by artisan Nguyen Van Sinh from Hue and his team over five months, involving 3,000 workers.

The bell was cast using over 44 tons of domestically sourced red bronze, melted in 12 separate crucibles to remove impurities. The total cost of this monumental project was approximately 4 billion VND (about 157,000 USD).

A large iron chain at the peak of the tower suspends the bell, accompanied by a 500-kg wooden mallet made of ironwood used for striking it. On clear days, the bell’s powerful tone can travel up to 10 kilometers, audible to residents across the region.

The bell’s surface is intricately engraved with Buddhist scriptures, lotus flowers, and sinuous dragons, reflecting both spiritual reverence and artistic sophistication.

In Buddhism, a bronze bell is not just a tool for signaling prayer and meditation times. It is also seen as a spiritual purifier, a symbol of peace, a repeller of negative energies, and a means to dissolve past karma.

Beneath the bell hangs a 70-ton bronze drum, 4.7 meters tall, modeled after the ancient Dong Son drum. It was cast by artisans from Kien Xuong, Thai Binh. At its center is a sun motif, surrounded by patterns symbolizing life, growth, and human activity.

The Dai Hong Chung was officially recognized by the Vietnam Book of Records as the country’s largest bronze bell. Its most distinctive feature is the inscribed text of the Great Compassion and Prajna Paramita sutras in classical Han script, alongside decorative motifs inspired by Zen and Buddhist teachings.

According to Bai Dinh Pagoda’s representative, the bell is only struck on major ceremonial occasions such as the Bai Dinh Festival on the 6th day of the first lunar month, Buddha’s Birthday on April 15, and Vu Lan Festival on July 15. Notably, on July 1, 2025, the bell rang three times to mark the first day of operation for the newly reorganized two-tier local government system.

Each time the bell is struck, the resonating sound is amplified by the drum below, creating a harmonic blend that can be heard across a vast area. “The farther the bell sound travels, the further the Buddha’s compassion reaches all beings,” said a temple representative. “The bell above symbolizes yang, the drum below represents yin. Their harmony signifies the balance of the universe, fostering life and prosperity.”