Bell Tower - 鐘樓
The Bell Tower of Shaolin Temple: A Millennium of Legends in the Chime of Bells
Standing southeast of the Mahavira Hall, the Bell Tower bears witness to over 700 years of Shaolin's storied past. First built in 1345 during the Yuan Dynasty, it was reduced to ashes in the fires of warlord conflicts in 1928. Not until 1994 was this historic structure painstakingly reconstructed using vintage photographs, Ming Dynasty stone carvings, and precise archaeological surveys.
At the stroke of midnight on Lunar New Year's Eve, Abbot Shi Yongxin leads monks in the solemn ritual of striking the bell 108 times. The resonant chimes echo through the Songshan mountains, continuing an ancient legend: during the Yuan Dynasty, a revered monk's 108 tolls on New Year's Eve miraculously lifted a plague that had plagued the region. Since then, the "New Year Bell-Striking Ceremony" has become one of Shaolin's most sacred traditions.
Before the Bell Tower stands its most remarkable treasure—the Stele of the Harmonious Unity of Three Teachings and Nine Schools 《混元三教九流图》, also known as The Picture of Complete Harmony. This Ming Dynasty stele holds a fascinating tale: in the Wanli era, Zhu Zaiyu, a royal descendant who renounced his princely title to seek refuge in Shaolin, poured his life's wisdom into this masterpiece. The stele's extraordinary depiction—featuring Buddha, Confucius, and Laozi united in a single frame—not only showcases the artistic genius of this "Drunken Immortal Recluse" but also embodies his vision of "Three Teachings as One." Legend has it that Zhu labored sleeplessly for seven days and nights, completing this enduring work under the glow of a full moon.
Beside it stands the Imperial Stele of Emperor Taizong of Tang 《太宗文皇帝御书碑》, commemorating Shaolin's most glorious chapter. In 621 AD, when warlord Wang Shichong's forces besieged Luoyang and Li Shimin (later Emperor Taizong) faced certain defeat, thirteen Shaolin staff-wielding monks launched a daring nighttime assault, turning the tide of battle with their peerless martial arts. Folktales still celebrate "The Thirteen Monks Who Saved the Tang Prince." Upon ascending the throne, Li Shimin not only rewarded Shaolin richly but also personally composed the stele's inscription, ensuring this legend would endure. Curiously, the arrangement of the thirteen monks' names is said to conceal the secret formation of Shaolin's "Thirteen-Staff Battle Array."
Today, as dawn breaks over Shaolin, the Bell Tower's chimes awaken the monastery once more. In its echoes resound Zhu Zaiyu's wisdom of unity, the heroic legacy of the thirteen monks, and the compassionate vows of generations of masters. As the current abbot reflects, "This bell's voice is Shaolin's most beautiful gift to the world."