Description of the attraction
Bosinggak Bell Tower is located on one of the oldest main streets in Seoul - Jongno. Jongno Street is famous for the many attractions of Seoul and a huge number of shops, among which there is the largest book store in South Korea - Kyobo mungo. The name of Jongno street is translated from Korean as “street of bells”.
The original building of the Bosinghak Bell Tower was erected in 1396, but subsequently the building was repeatedly destroyed due to wars or fires. During one of these fires, the bell was also damaged. The bell was restored in 1468. For preservation purposes, this bell is kept in the National Museum of Korea, which is also located in Seoul. A huge bronze bell inside the Bosinghak Pavilion was cast with donations from the public in 1985. Bosinghak Pavilion became so called during the reign of Emperor Gojong.
In the Joseon era, the bell stood in the center of the village, which was located next to the castle-fortress. The ringing of the bell meant the opening and closing of eight gates in the city wall that surrounded Seoul - four Great Gates and four Small Gates. The gates opened at 4 am, closed at 10 pm (in some other sources - at 7 pm), and each time the bell rang at this time: 33 times in the morning, and when the gate was closed, the bell rang 28 times. In addition, the ringing of the bell announced emergency situations, such as a fire.
Today the bell rings at midnight on New Year's Eve. This ceremony brings together thousands of tourists and locals.
