Close-up of the hundred-year-old bronze bell masterpiece in Hue

    PHÚC ĐẠT - NGUYỄN LUÂN |

    HUE - Nguyen Dynasty bronze bells are considered the pinnacle of bell casting art in Vietnam, of which some bells are national treasures located in Hue.

    Trong suot trieu dai nha Nguyen, chuong dong, voi su tinh xao trong nghe thuat che tac va trang tri cac bieu tuong Phat giao, khong don thuan la mot dung cu trong cac nghi le ton giao tai chua, ma con la phuong tien lan toa giao ly Phat phap, gop phan cung co niem tin va su gan ket trong cong dong.
    During the Nguyen Dynasty, bronze bells, with their sophisticated craftsmanship and decoration of Buddhist symbols, were not simply tools used in religious ceremonies at pagodas, but also a means of spreading Buddhist teachings, contributing to strengthening faith and solidarity in the community.
    O Co do Hue, hai trong nhung chuong dong noi tieng co tu thoi nha Nguyen do la Bao vat quoc gia “Dai hong chung chua Thien Mu” va chuong Ngo Mon o lau Ngu Phung (Dai Noi).
    In the ancient capital of Hue, two of the famous bronze bells from the Nguyen Dynasty are the national treasure "Dai Hong Chung of Thien Mu Pagoda" and the Ngo Mon bell in Ngu Phung tower (Dai Noi).
    Chuong Ngo Mon (doc ban) duoc duc vao nam Minh Mang thu ba (1822). Chuong cao gan 4 thuoc (1,8m), nang 1.359 can (815kg), la mot trong nhung chiec chuong co kich thuoc va trong luong lon nhat trong thoi Nguyen. Chuong nay duoc su dung vao cac hoat dong mang tinh chat hanh chinh, duoc coi la bieu tuong cua Vuong trieu.
    The Ngo Mon Bell (unique) was cast in the third year of Minh Mang (1822). The bell is nearly 4 meters (1.8 meters) high and weighs 1,359 pounds (815 kg), making it one of the largest and heaviest bells of the Nguyen Dynasty. This bell was used for administrative activities and was considered a symbol of the Dynasty.
    Dang chuong co hinh tru ngan, ben tren nho, ben duoi hoi phinh. Quai chuong la tuong hai con rong (con goi la bo lao) dau lung vao nhau. Chuong duoc trang tri hoa van dep mat, cac net duc sac sao.
    The bell has a short cylindrical shape, small at the top and slightly bulging at the bottom. The bell handle is a statue of two dragons (also called bo lao) fighting back to back. The bell is decorated with beautiful patterns and sharp casting lines.
    Cac chu viet, hoa van, hinh tuong con rat ro net tren chuong Ngo Mon.
    The writings, patterns and images are still very clear on the Ngo Mon bell.
    Thang 10.2024, Trung tam Bao ton Di tich Co do Hue da xay dung ho so de nghi cong nhan Bao vat quoc gia nam 2024 voi 4 bo hien vat (gom 5 hien vat) do don vi nay quan ly, trong do co chuong Ngo Mon.
    In October 2024, the Hue Monuments Conservation Center prepared a dossier to request recognition as a National Treasure in 2024 with 4 sets of artifacts (including 5 artifacts) managed by this unit, including the Ngo Mon bell.
    Chiec chuong thu hai trong thoi Nguyen duoc duc cong phu khac do la chuong chua Thien Mu - Bao vat quoc gia vao nam 2013. Neu nhu chuong Ngo Mon la bieu tuong Vuong trieu thi chuong chua Thien Mu gan voi bieu tuong cua Dao Phat thoi Nguyen.
    The second bell cast elaborately during the Nguyen Dynasty was the Thien Mu Pagoda bell - a national treasure in 2013. If the Ngo Mon bell is the symbol of the Dynasty, the Thien Mu Pagoda bell is associated with the symbol of Buddhism during the Nguyen Dynasty.
    Dai hong chung Thien Mu duoc duc nam 1710 voi chieu cao 2,4m, nang 1.985kg. Day la mot tac pham my thuat dieu khac, hoi hoa va ky nghe duc dong dac sac thoi chua Nguyen. Cung voi bia va rua da, Dai hong chung la mot trong nhung bao vat cua chua Thien Mu va la bao vat trong kho tang Di san van hoa Viet Nam.
    The Great Bell of Thien Mu was cast in 1710 with a height of 2.4m and a weight of 1,985kg. This is a unique work of sculpture, painting and bronze casting during the Nguyen Dynasty. Along with the stele and stone turtle, the Great Bell is one of the treasures of Thien Mu Pagoda and a treasure in the treasury of Vietnamese Cultural Heritage.
    Tuy nhien, hien nay co nhieu chuong dong bi tac dong boi yeu to thoi gian, su an mon do khi hau hoac dieu kien bao quan khong dam bao, cung su tac dong cua con nguoi.
    However, nowadays many bronze bells are affected by time, corrosion due to climate or poor storage conditions, and human impact.
    Nghien cuu ve van de nay, PGS. TS Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao va TS Trinh Thi Ha (Truong Dai hoc Su pham Nghe thuat Trung uong) cho hay, can co su phoi hop chat che giua chinh quyen, cac chuyen gia van hoa va cong dong dia phuong trong viec xay dung chien luoc bao ton va phat huy toan dien. Viec nang cao nhan thuc cua cong dong ve tam quan trong cua di san van hoa, ket hop voi cac giai phap phat trien ben vung se la yeu to quyet dinh trong viec duy tri gia tri cua chuong dong thoi Nguyen cho cac the he tuong lai.
    Researching on this issue, Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao and Dr. Trinh Thi Ha (Central University of Art Education) said that there needs to be close coordination between the government, cultural experts and local communities in developing a comprehensive conservation and promotion strategy. Raising public awareness of the importance of cultural heritage, combined with sustainable development solutions, will be the decisive factor in maintaining the value of the Nguyen Dynasty bronze bell for future generations.
    Theo hai nha nghien cuu, can bao ton cac chuong dong thoi Nguyen bang cac bien phap ky thuat cu the, giao duc va nang cao nhan thuc cua cong dong; ung dung cong nghe so de so hoa toan bo thong tin, hinh anh lien quan den chuong dong bao gom ca lich su, gia tri van hoa va nghe thuat; bao ton va phat huy gia tri gan voi phat trien du lich ben vung.
    According to the two researchers, it is necessary to preserve the Nguyen Dynasty bronze bells by specific technical measures, educating and raising public awareness; applying digital technology to digitize all information and images related to the bronze bells, including history, cultural and artistic values; preserving and promoting values ​​associated with sustainable tourism development.
    PHÚC ĐẠT - NGUYỄN LUÂN
    RELATED NEWS
    Visitors experience the Smart Interactive Station at Hue Imperial City. Photo: Hue Monuments Conservation Center

    Hue promotes cultural tourism with Smart Interactive Station

    |

    Hue pioneers in applying the latest technologies in preserving and exploiting cultural tourism, notably the network of interconnected smart interactive stations.

    Hue city in the period of growth.

    Hue city in the period of development

    |

    HUE - Listening to the thoughts and aspirations of people in all districts and towns in Thua Thien Hue after Hue officially became a centrally-governed city.

    “Keeping the fire” for the century-old blacksmith village in Hue

    |

    HUE - The government and people of Huong Vinh ward (Hue city) are making efforts to revive the local traditional blacksmithing profession that has existed for hundreds of years.

    German fireworks paint a fire painting in the sky of Da Nang

    |

    Da Nang - The fourth night of DIFF 2026 with the theme "Creation" brought an impressive competition between the German team and Macau (China).

    Vinh Long province recorded 45 riverbank and coastal erosion points with a total length of more than 5.8km. Photo: Hoang Loc

    Landslides in Vinh Long diễn biến phức tạp, damage nearly 24 billion VND

    |

    Vinh Long - Landslides are developing complicatedly, stretching over 5.8km, affecting 146 households, causing damage of nearly 24 billion VND.

    Ukrainian stronghold attacked by Russia. Photo: Russian Ministry of Defense

    Russia controls 94 more buildings, eliminating 95 Ukrainian soldiers in Konstantinovka

    |

    Russia on June 20 said that forces of the Southern Operations Group have controlled 94 more buildings in Konstantinovka in the past 24 hours.

    Handover of Yen Bai GTVT Hospital is prolonged due to lack of agreement on the reception plan

    |

    Lao Cai - Although the Ministry of Finance has transferred all assets of Yen Bai GTVT Hospital to local management, the handover process has not yet been completed.

    The Chu Van An road project - the section from Hai Ba Trung - Ngo Si Lien streets in Nghia Lo ward (Quang Ngai) is currently in a dusty and muddy situation. Photo: Dong Giang

    876m of road built for 11 years not completed, Quang Ngai provincial leaders direct removal

    |

    Quang Ngai - The Chu Van An road project section from Hai Ba Trung - Ngo Si Lien is 876m long, but after 11 years of implementation it has not been completed.

    Du khách trải nghiệm Trạm tương tác thông minh tại Đại Nội Huế. Ảnh: Trung tâm Bảo tồn Di tích Cố đô Huế

    Hue promotes cultural tourism with Smart Interactive Station

    NGUYỄN ĐĂNG |

    Hue pioneers in applying the latest technologies in preserving and exploiting cultural tourism, notably the network of interconnected smart interactive stations.

    Thành phố Huế trong thời kỳ vươn mình.

    Hue city in the period of development

    PHÚC ĐẠT - NGUYỄN LUÂN |

    HUE - Listening to the thoughts and aspirations of people in all districts and towns in Thua Thien Hue after Hue officially became a centrally-governed city.

    “Keeping the fire” for the century-old blacksmith village in Hue

    PHÚC ĐẠT - NGUYỄN LUÂN |

    HUE - The government and people of Huong Vinh ward (Hue city) are making efforts to revive the local traditional blacksmithing profession that has existed for hundreds of years.