Close-up of the hundred-year-old bronze bell masterpiece 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.