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Last modified: 2019-06-26 15:59:22

The Bell of King Seongdeok is a massive bronze bell, the largest extant bell in Korea. [this is a replica]
The full Korean name means "Sacred (or Divine) Bell of King Seongdeok the Great." It was also known as the Emilee Bell, after a legend about its casting, and as the Bell of Bongdeoksa Temple, where it was first housed.

The bell was commissioned by King Gyeongdeok to honor his father, King Seongdeok. However, King Gyeongdeok never lived to see the casting of the bell, as he died in 765 A.D. The bell was finally cast in 771 A.D., during the reign of Gyeongdeok's son, King Hyegong.

Now stored in the National Museum of Gyeongju, the bell was designated as the 29th national treasure of Korea on December 12, 1962. It measures 3.75 meters high, 2.27 meters in diameter at the lip, and 11 to 25 centimeters in wall thickness. The Gyeongju National Museum weighed it in 1997, and found that its weight was 18.9 tons.

When rung, it is said to have been heard from 40 miles away on a clear day.

The bell is commonly known as the Emile Bell in both Korean and English. Emile, pronounced "em-ee-leh," is an ancient Silla term for "mommy".

According to legend, the first bell that was cast produced no sound when it was struck. The bell was recast many times but with no success. The king that had wanted the bell cast died after a while and his young son took over with the help of the queen. The son carried out what his father had started but still he didn't have any success. Later, a monk dreamed that if a child was cast into the metal, the bell would ring. The monk then took a child from the village and had her cast into the metal. When the bell was complete, the bell made the most beautiful sound when struck.