Bell Tower in Soo Deck Sa Temple

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The most famous thing in Soo Deok Sa temple was The Das Woong Jeon, one of the oldest wooden building in Korea which was built in 1308 AD.

But the bell tower in Soo Deck Sa temple was as much as impressive to me like the oldest wooden building.

It was not easy to look at the whole components of Buddhist bell tower in other Buddhist temple.

Only specially large scale temple has whole components of the bell tower.

It didn’t seem that the bell tower in Soo Deck Sa temple had been built in for long time ago.
But it was so beautiful in style of architecture of bell tower it self and the colors of the building.
It is common that the bell tower is located in higher place in temple when it is possible. But in this temple, the bell tower was in the front yard of the temple which was lower place in this temple.

There were 4 components in Bell tower. Each components has it’s own meaning.

First one was the Drum.

Sound of the Drum means the teaching of the Buddha specially for the livestocks

It is the symbol of Harmony

Second was the cloud pannel which was made up of metal
This pannel was for the birds. The sounds of the cloud pannel means the teaching of the Buddha for flying things all around.

Third one was the wooden fish.
It is the teaching for all fishes in world.

Last thing was the Bell

They strike the bell in every morning and evening in temple. The Bell sounds stand for the teaching of Buddha for all creatures. The Bell is main instrument for spreading the teaching of Buddha all over the world.

The bell in this bell tower seemed to have been made not for long ago.
It was small and humble.
In the corner of the temple, I could see the original Bell being protected.
I took the photos of that Bell, but unfortunately I lost some of those photos.
It is sorry to show you parts of the original Bell.

I’d like to visit the temple Soo Deok Sa once more to look at every thing more carefully.

It is strange I always felt what I lost after coming home.