Korean New Year Bells: Eastern and Western Bells Ringing Together
Creatrip Team
2 months ago
Seoul’s Bosingak will host the traditional New Year’s Eve bell-ringing (Je-ya) ceremony at midnight, a Korean counterpart to New York’s Times Square countdown. The article explains differences between Eastern temple bells (beomjong) and Western bells: shapes (jar-like vs. trumpet-like), striking methods (outside struck with a wooden beam vs. swinging to hit an internal clapper), placement (low bell pavilions vs. high bell towers), and cultural uses (meditative/ritual vs. signaling). It notes famous Korean bells such as the Bosingak bell (original now in the National Museum) and the Emille Bell replica, and describes temple morning rites where a sequence of bell, drum, wooden fish, and cloud-shaped board awaken the monastic community. The piece also explores regional and religious distributions—Islamic areas lack church or temple bells, while Orthodox Christian practice mixes techniques—and gives human stories: a long-serving church bell-ringer and a parish that adopted a traditional-style beomjong to localize Anglican worship. The article concludes that bells, whether Eastern or Western, can do more than signal time—they can inspire meditation and community connection.
