Asian Bell

Western Bell

World Peace Gong

More than 154 Bells & Gongs for Peace (&/or International Friendship) Around the World

Short History of Peace Bells: Large bells have existed for centuries, particularly in Asia. A small number of Asian bells was taken to Western countries as art objects (e.g. Geneva 1873, Reading 1907, San Marino 1912) and even as war trophies (e.g. Annapolis 1853, Victoria 1904, Boston 1945, Lexington 1946). Hundreds of Buddhist temple bells were destroyed in Japan during World War II in order to make ship propellers and other military items. As the first of these were replaced immediately after the war, some were called "peace bells" (e.g. Hiroshima 1947 & 1949, Uwajima 1950), and some older bells were renamed retroactively (e.g. Boston 1953, Ohara 1954). Then Japanese bells began to be cast for the express purpose of symbolizing peace (e.g. United Nations 1954, Hiroshima 1964 & 1967, Oahu 1970, Bagac 1975, Nagasaki 1977, Okinawa 1978). This tradition has caught on and spread around the world, as illustrated below. Founded in Tokyo in 1982, the World Peace Bell Asociation (WPBA) has placed 21 World Peace Bells (WPB's) in 15 different countries.

Click here for special web page about the World Peace Bells (WPB's).
Click here for peace bells of the World Choir Games.
Click here for "Ray's Bell Page" (including sound of the International Friendship Bell in Oak Ridge, TN).
Click here for "The Martins's [Hand] Bells of Peace & Freedom."
Click here for web page about the world's largest bells.
Click here for "Bells for Peace and Freedom ring all over the world." This web page - copyrighted by Dr. Susanne Pratscher in Vienna (Austria) - reports the results of an extensive search for "famous bells" worldwide.
See end of this web page for special section about Dharma Bells.
See end of this web page for special section about Gong Perdamaian Dunia / World Peace Gongs (WPG's).

Right click image to enlarge.

1853 - Okinawa Bell (Gokoku-ji), Bancroft Hall, US Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland (USA). Commodore Matthew C. Perry [1794-1858] carried an Okinawa temple bell to the USA & proposed that it be mounted atop the Washington Monument (then under construction) in Washington, DC. His widow donated the bell to the US Naval Academy where it was displayed on the grounds (left image circa 1902), then placed just outside Bancroft Hall, the academy's largest building (right image). In 1987, the bell was returned to Okinawa, and a replica now serves at the academy.

1873 - Cloche de Shinagawa / Shinagawa Bell, Ariana Museum, Geneva (Switzerland). "Disparue de son temple au XIXe sičcle, puis réapparue dans une fonderie d’Aarau en 1873 et installée dans le parc du Musée Ariana ŕ Genčve, la cloche du temple Honsen-ji de Shinagawa a été restituée au Japon par les autorités de la Ville de Genčve en 1930. Soixante ans plus tard, en signe de reconnaissance, le temple offre ŕ Genčve une réplique de cette fameuse cloche." Replica was cast in 1990 by Oigo Bell Works, Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture (Japan), offered to the city of Geneva by the community of the Honsen-ji Temple in Shinagawa, Tokyo (Japan), and installed in Autumn 1991.

July 4, 1893 - Columbian Liberty Bell, Columbian Exposition, Chicago, Illinois (USA). From New York Times, March 24, 1893: "FOR A BIG LIBERTY BELL - TO BE A FEATURE OF THE COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION. - THE LARGEST NUMBER POSSIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN ITS CREATION BY CONTRIBUTIONS -- WIDESPREAD APPROVAL OF THE IDEA -- A PLOW-SHARE AND PRUNING HOOKS, TOO. - Inspired by the poem, 'Liberty's Bell,' a number of patriotic men and "women have determined to create Columbian Liberty Bell and place it in the coming exhibition at Chicago. The responsibility of producing it and the directing of its use have been placed in the hands of a committee composed almost entirely of women, one from each state and Territory. // The originator of this idea was Mr.W[illiam] O. McDowell [1845-1927] of Newark, N.J. who is the General Chairman of the committee which has undertaken to have the bell cast. The poem which inspired him was written by Madge Morris Wagner, and the first two stanzas will tell the idea of these ladies and gentlemen who have undertaken to procure the money and the relics which shall be cast into the Liberty Bell... The bell is to be cast by the Clinton H. Meneely Bell Company of Troy, N.J., and is to be a counterpart of the Independence Bell of Philadelphia, except that it will be larger... It has also been suggested that a special Columbian-year motto should be added. Some wish Gen. Grant's famous words, 'Let us have peace,' while others favor the words used by the school children on Oct. 21, 1892, in celebrating Columbus Day: 'I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands; one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.' // At the same time the bell is cast, there will be made a plowshare and pruning hooks, which will be composed of swords and war materials contributed for that purpose. This plow will accompany the bell to Chicago and will typify the fulfilment of the prophecy, 'The sword shall be beaten into the prowshare and the spear into the pruning hook, and men shall learn the arts of war no more...' // The bell will be rung for the first time at the World's Fair on July 4, and it will remain at the fair till it closes, in care of the Board of Lady Managers. Then it will be taken to Washington, where it will in the charge of the Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. After it has been in Washington some time, it will be sent around the world to any city where any great patriotic celebration is being held... Several swords have been received which are to be used in the plow. Two of these were given by a lady in Arkansas and were worn by Confederate officers, and another came from Philadelphia. This was used by an officer in the Union Army..."

1895? - From New York Times, June 3, 1895: "CASTING A LIBERTY BELL FOR RUSSIA - It Will Commemorate the Termination of Serfdom in 1863 [sic]. - NEWARK, N.J., June 2.--The Columbian Liberty Bell Committee is in receipt of a letter under date of May 18 from Clifton R. Breckinridge, United States Minister to Russia, in which he asks for a full description and photograph of the great Columbian Liberty and Peace Bell for Mr. Berthauld, the Russian artist, who is charged with making a design for the 'Bell of Peace' that is to be presented, as the result of popular movement of the people of Russia, to the people of France. // The [Columbian Exposition] Liberty Bell Committee has in course of manufacture two souvenir liberty bells made from the overflow of historical metal from which the great bell was cast. These two bells are to be exact duplicates, and are to be presented, through the President and the Czar, to the peoples of Russia and the United States. // Each bell will bear not only its own special inscription, but a copy of the special inscription uoon its companion: // Presented to the People of Russia in Memory of March 3, 1863, and the Termination of Serfdom [in 1861]. // Presented to the People of the United States in Memory of Dec. 18, 1865, and the Official Announcement of the Total Abolition of Slavery. // The bells will be completed in a short time." /// Was these bells made, and, if so, where are they today?

1894 - Toki-no-Kane / Bell of Time, Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture (Japan). "A bell tower originally built by the order of Sakai Tadakatsu between 1624 and 1644. The present structure goes back to 1894, a year after the Great Fire of Kawagoe. It is a three-story tower measuring 16 meters in height. The tower has been telling time to the city's residents for 350 years and has been deemed as a symbol of the city. Currently, the bell can be heard four times a day (6 am, 12 pm, 3 pm, and 6 pm.)."

October 24, 1904 - Chinese Temple Bell, Beacon Hill Park, Victoria, British Columbia (Canada). Cast between 1641 and 1642, weighs 479 kgs. (954 lbs) and is 1.36 metres tall. Looted by British troops from Funing county in Yunnan province during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900, and presented to the City of Victoria by Lt. W.B. Macdonald of H.M.S. Pique. Moved on January 23, 1989, to the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria.

August 6, 1906 - El Camino Real, Alta California (USA). "El Camino Real (Spanish for The Royal Road, also known as The King's Highway), sometimes associated with Calle Real, usually refers to the historic 600-mile (966-kilometer) road connecting the former Alta California's 21 missions (along with a number of sub-missions), four presidios & three pueblos, stretching from Mission San Diego de Alcalá in San Diego in the south to Mission San Francisco Solano in Sonoma north. /// Modern El Camino Real was one of the first state highways in California. Given the lack of standardized road signs at the time, it was decided to place distinctive bells along the route, hung on supports in the form of an 11-foot (3.4 m) high shepherd's crook, also described as a 'Franciscan walking stick.' The first of 450 bells were unveiled on August 15, 1906, at the Plaza Church in the Pueblo near Olvera Street in Los Angeles. A California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) restoration program resulted in the installation of 555 El Camino Real Bell Markers in 2005. The original 1906 bell molds were used to fabricate the replacement bells."

May 5, 1907 - Choshoji Temple Bell, "The Pagoda," Summit Drive, Mt. Penn, Reading, Pennsylvania (USA). "Cast in Obata in 1739 by a man named Mikawaya and presented by him and 47 friends to the Buddhist Temple, Shozenji, at Yakuosan, now part of downtown Tokyo near Hibiya Park." Click here for more information.

1912 - Japanese Temple Bell, Japanese Garden, Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, California (USA). Bell hangs in a nice pavilion in a garden setting.

1918 - "Departure Bell," Maryknoll Mission Seminary, Ossining, New York (USA). "Every year for the past 90 years, Maryknoll has celebrated the sending of our Fathers and Brothers to foreign mission. Departure Day is our enduring tradition." What is the origin of this Asian bell?

1924 - "Maria Dolens" / "Grieving Virgin Mary", Miravalle Hill, Rovereto, Trento (Italy). Largest bell outside Russia & East Asia, and the largest sounding bell in the world. Built under the inspiration of a local priest from bronze obtained by fusing cannons used by all the armies which fought in World War I. The International University of Peoples’ Institutions for Peace (IUPIP) was established in 1993 in Rovereto by the Fondazione Opera Campana dei Caduti / Peace Bell Foundation. Two different bells, or changed mounting?

1928 - Liberty Bell of Louvain, Leuven/Louvain (Belgium). In the tower of the Central University Library. The 7-ton Bourdon also strikes the hours. The instrument bears a message of peace... Bell no. 4 bears the following inscription (translated from Latin): 'My sounds reveal the changes of life. I sing about fortune in good and bad days. Let there be peace and understanding on earth. This is my wish to you all from this tower.' Inscription on front (in English): "THE LIBERTY BELL OF LOUVAIN. This Carillon in Memory of the engineers of the United States of America Who gave their Lives In the Service of their Country and its Allies in the Great War 1914-1918" /// "One of the most beautiful carillons in the world. It was erected together with the library building in 1928 & was donated by American engineers as a war memorial. Thanks to the efforts of American carillonneur Margo Halsted, the instrument was renovated & enlarged to 63 bells in 1983. The total bell weight is 35 tons. During the academic year until mid-May, the carillon is played twice weekly, on Tuesdays & Thursdays from 7:00 to 7:45 pm."

1936? - Peace Bell, International Friendship Gardens, US Highway 12, Michigan City, Indiana (USA). Before & after deterioration of the frame holding the bell. Left photo from old post card. Right photo by EWL.

March 28-29, 1942 - Gefallene Glocken / Broken Bells, Marienkirche / St. Mary's Church, Lübeck (Germany). Unintentional monument. "On the night of Palm Sunday from 28 to 29 March 1942, the church was almost completely burnt out during an Allied bombing raid along with about a fifth of Lübeck city centre, including the Lübeck Cathedral and St. Peter's Church... The bells of the church, which fell down during the ensuing blaze, lie where they fell to this day, where they remain as a memorial. They can be seen in the Gedenkkapelle in the south tower." Visited by EWL.

1945 - Japanese Temple Bell, near Kelleher Rose Garden, Back Bay Fens, Boston, Massachusetts (USA). "Cast in 1675 by Tanaka Gonzaemon under the supervision of Suzuki Magoemon, and dedicated to Bishamon, a Buddhist god of children and good luck. Contributed to the Japanese war effort in 1940 but ended up on a scrap heap in Yokosuka [naval base]. Sailors from the USS Boston (CA-69) salvaged the bell after WW-II and offered it to the city of Boston in 1945." In October 1953, Kyukichi Anzai, Representative of the Believers' Committee of Manpukuji Temple, Sendai (Japan), presented the bell to Boston "in order to create close friendship between the citizens of Boston and the citizens of Sendai as a link for the attainment of peace in the world." In 1993, "the bell was restored through funding from the Japan Foundation." In September 2004, the bell was knocked over by vandals, then taken to a park department warehouse for safekeeping and cleaning, but it was later restored to its pedestal in Back Bay Fens.

1945? - Japanese Bell, Buena Vista Winery, Sonoma, California (USA). About 18 inches tall. 'I remember hearing someone say once that it was from the 14th century... It is bronze or brass and heavily oxidized to a lovely blue-green color. One of the former owners of the winery was a bit of a collector and I believe he left it here... His name was Frank Bartholomew..." [Email from the winery, May 2004.] Frank Bartholomew [1899-1985] was the first correspondent into Naha, Okinawa (Japan), while that city was still under siege in 1945, was on the battleship Missouri when Japan surrendered to end World War II & was the last correspondent to leave when Shanghai fell to the Communists. He became president of United Press in 1955 & merged it with International News Service (INS) to create United Press Internatonal (UPI) in 1958.

Year? - "Chinese Bell," in living room of "Springwood" (Birthplace & Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt), Hyde Park, New York (USA). About 3 feet/1 meter tall. EWL visited on April 19, 2017. National Park Service guide called this a "Chinese bell" & said the Roosevelt family rang it to call guests to dinner. He disputed that it looks more Japanese than Chinese. IMO, the bell is shaped like a typical Japanese bell, and it has many "knobs" which are common on Japanese bells but NOT on Chinese bells. I wonder when & how it was acquired by the Roosevelt family. Click here to compare "peace bells" from Japan, China & other countries. Note how similar bells were brought to the USA from Japan as trophies of WW-II. But FDR [1882-1945] was Assistant Secretary of the Navy 1913-1920, and maybe this bell was given to him at that time. /// From a visitor's blog: "FUN ROOSEVELT FACTS: Among gifts in Springwood is a bell from a Buddhist monastery; FDR's mom [Sara Ann Delano Roosevelt, 1854-1941] used it respectfully and with the utmost dignity as a dinner bell. Since all dinners were formal, the first bell was a 30-minute warning; those who were not dressed in time had to eat dinner alone in their rooms, and then would be beaten thoroughly [sic] by the servants." /// From "[Joseph] Stillwell & the American Experience in China, 1911-1945" by Barbara W. Tuchman (2001): "At Hyde Park [Franklin D.] Roosevelt [1882-1945] was brought up among Chinese furnishings, among them a large blue & white porcelain garden pot in the library which according to family tradition had been used at Rose Hill ["the home the Delanos would occupy in Hong Kong"] for bathing the children. A bronze Chinese bell used as a dinner gong had been acquired by Roosevelt's grand- father from two coolies who were carrying it away from the sack at Soochow in 1863. Roosevelts's stamp collection was founded on Chinese & Hong Kong issues given to him by his mother when he was ten..." /// COMMENT BY EWL: Each of the three accounts given here appears to be a typical tour guide simplification further removed from the truth by anonymous & amateur scribes. More reliable is the Wikipedia account that Sara Ann Delano Roosevelt, her mother Catherine & six brothers & sisters "lived in Hong Kong 1862-1865...where they joined Warren Delano who had resumed his business of trading in opium, then still legal." My hunch is that the bell's origin is poorly documented but that it has been in the home for so many decades that few if any visitors have questioned its source. Its Japanese origin is obvious to me but apparently has never been investigated by the National Park Service. /// Lower image shows the front of "Springwood," birthplace & lifelong home of Franklin Deleno Roosevelt.

1946 - Japanese Temple Bell, Enger Park, Duluth, Minnesota (USA). Cast in 1686 for Cho-ei Temple in Ohara (now Isumi), Chiba Prefecture (Japan). Brought to Duluth by sailors of the USS Duluth in 1946. Returned to Ohara on May 2, 1954. Now restored and called the Japan-US Friendship Peace Bell. Copy installed in Duluth on June 5, 1994 (qv).

1946-1991 - Dai Sen Zen-ji Bell, Virginia Military Institute (VMI), Lexington, Virginia (USA). Also called the Daishozen-Ji Bell. Cast in 1465, stands three feet high & weighs 450 pounds. "Captured on Okinawa by the 6th Marine Division in June 1945. The soldiers presented the bell to their Division commander, (then) Maj. Gen. Lemuel C. Shepherd, VMI Class of 1917. Shepherd subsequently gave the bell to VMI, where it was displayed on the VMI Post [adjacent to parade field] for several decades. The bell was returned to the Okinawan people in June 1991, at a ceremony attended by VMI Superintendent, Maj. Gen. John W. Knapp." /// Today it stands in the basement of a rehabilitation center for the handicapped, placed near the building’s boiler (according to Stars & Stripes).

1946? - Japanese Temple Bell, Atlanta, Georgia (USA). Cast in 1747 in Tokyo. Found in an Atlanta warehouse. Returned to Jodoji Temple by Rotary Clubs of Atlanta & Yokosuka in May 1961 during ceremony in Yokosuka (Japan). All information from Tuscaloosa News, May 30, 1961. Much more to know about this bell. Where is "Jodoji Temple"? Very likely a WW-II trophy (like other Japanese bells in Duluth, Topeka & Lexington, VA). Too bad it wasn't retained (as in Boston) to symbolize peace or friendshp.

About 1946 - Japanese Temple Bell, Topeka, Kansas (USA). Cast in 1795. Brought from Japan by crew of USS Topeka. Returned to Enkyosan Myokeiji Temple, Shimizu City, in August 1989 during cemony in Topeka. Other information from Lawrence Journal-World, August 26, 1989.

August 5-7, 1947 - Second Anniversary of the Atomic Bomb (third anniversary according to Japanese custom): "The first Peace Festival was held in an open area in Jisenji-no-hana. (This area is now included in Peace Memorial Park). The festival took place around a wooden peace tower which was built for the occasion. After a silent prayer by the people present, the Peace Bell was rung. Then Mayor Hamai took the platform and read aloud to the world the first Peace Declaration." World's first temporary peace bell? What "peace bell" was used on this occasion, and what happened to it afterwards? Image shows portion of model in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. Jisenji-no-hana is the area immediately below T-shaped Aioi Bridge. Photo by EWL.

1949 - Bell of Peace, Tamon-in Temple, near Hijiyama Park (just east of Kyobashi-gawa River), Hiroshima (Japan). Original bell taken by military during World War II. Empty bell tower was among very few wooden structures to survive A-bomb on August 6, 1945. Replacement "Bell of Peace" installed in 1949. World's first permanent peace bell? Image from "A-bombed Structures Speak - The First Special Exhibition of Fy 2008," Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, shows 1949 bell & a beam cracked by the A-bomb blast. Visited by EWL.

1950 - "The Bell of Banzai for Absolute Peace," Taihei Temple, Uwajima, Ehime, Shikoku Island (Japan). Replaced temple bell seized by military during World War II. Cast (including coins from 26 countries) by Chiyoji Nakagawa [1905-1972], mayor of Uwajima 1959-1967 & 1971-1972. This is the model for the Japanese Peace Bell at the United Nations.''

May 31, 2007 - Miniature Peace Bell, Uwajima (Japan). "A Buddhist priest from Taihei temple presented Hokule'a with a miniature Peace Bell today. The bell is a replica of one housed in the temple, a copy of which was given to the United Nations [in 1954]. Miniatures of the bell were given to John F. Kennedy & Nikita Khruschev during the Cuban Missile crisis [in 1962] to urge them to bring their dispute to a peaceful resolution. [Navigator] Nainoa was asked to ring the bell when Hokule'a arrives in Yokohama."

B E L L

1951 - "The Pummerin," North Tower, Stephansdom / St. Stephen's Cathedral, Wien/Vienna (Austria). "By the Turks guns originating from material and its casting in the early days of the Second Republic, it is also a symbol of peace, freedom and the country as a gift from the province of Upper Austria for the St. Stephen's Cathedral was destroyed in World War II as a symbol of the reconstruction [Google translation]." Called "The Voice of Austria." At 21,383 kg, the third largest bell in Western & Central Europe, after St. Petersglocke in Cologne Cathedral (24.000 kg) and Maria Dolens (qv) in Rovereto, Italy (23.000 kg).

From 1953

Since 2011

January 27, 1953 - Friedensglocke / Peace Bell, Oder Promenade, Frankfurt an der Oder (Germany). "A monument to the Oder-Neisse line, which was then called the Oder-Neisse border of peace. The GDR had accepted the Oder-Neisse line with the Treaty of Zgorzelec already 1949th Frankfurt (Oder) was Polish border town & the eastern neighborhoods as Slubice. Traditionally, the bell is rung on 1 September World Peace Day [sic]. The Peace Bell is a three-ton iron chilled cast iron bell, which was cast in Morgenrothe im Vogtland. It bears the inscription peace & friendship with all peoples. The bell was of the CDU in the GDR to VI. Congress instituted on January 27, 1953. The bell hung to 2011 in a building designed by Johannes Muller Glockenhaus am Holzmarkt. 2002 decided to put the bell to the southern end of the timber market. 2011 a new bell tower by architects Gruber + Popp was built. The bell was removed on February 2, 2011, from the bell tower and then redeveloped in Neuenhagen bei Berlin. The total cost of the renovation and the new bell tower amounted to around EUR 250,000. A stone slab with a presentation from the interior of the old belfry was attached next to the new globe tabs. [6] on August 30, 2011, the new location of the peace bell on the Oder promenade was inaugurated. The bell is now framed & supported by a steel tower." [Google translation].

June 8, 1954 - Japanese Peace Bell, West Court Garden, Secretariat Building, United Nations (UN), New York City, New York (USA). Cast (including coins & metal from about 60 UN member countries) by Chiyoji Nakagawa [1905-1972] on October 24, 1952, at "the Tada Factory" (Japan). Gift to the UN from the UN Assn. of Japan. Rung on the Vernal Equinox and on 21 September to coincide with the opening of the UN General Assembly and the International Day of Peace. Click here for Wikipedia article. Entry #756 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001). Click here for Japanese website about the bell.

December 11, 1960 - Yokohama Friendship Bell, Shelter Island, San Diego, California, USA. Gift from sister city Yokohama (Japan) to the City of San Diego. Designed by Masahiko Katori [1899-1988].

1961 - Thai Bell, John Wilson District Building, Federal Triangle, Pennsylvania Avenue at 14th Street, Washington, DC (USA). Presented to the people of Washington by the people of sister city Bangkok (Thailand).

1961 - "Japanese temple bell of peace and friendship," just west of the Iowa Judicial Building on the south side of Court Avenue, State Capitol grounds, Des Moines, Iowa, USA. Gift from Prefecture of Yamanashi (Japan) to the State of Iowa in gratitude for agricultural relief in 1959. Cast by Oigo Bell Works, Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture (Japan). Photo by EWL.

1962 - Kobe Bell, near Intiman Playhouse, Seattle Center (former world's fair grounds), Seattle, Washington, USA. Gift from sister city Kobe (Japan) to the City of Seattle at time of the Seattle World's Fair (also know as the Century 21 Exposition).

September 20, 1964 - Hiroshima Peace Bell, Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima (Japan). Large bell, permanently outdoors. Surface of the bell is a map of the world. Its "sweet spot" is an atomic symbol. Designed by Masahiko Katori [1899-1988]. Cast by Oigo Bell Works, Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture (Japan). /// "An ancient Greek quote is [inscribed on the bell] along with its translations in Japanese & Sanskrit. The inscription...means 'Know thyself.' The Greek embassy donated the bell [really?] to the Peace Park & picked out the most appropriate ancient Greek philosophical quote of Socrates. The Sanskrit was translated by the Indian ambassador, and the Japanese by a university lecturer." /// Middle image shows Ram Uppuluri of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, at the bell on July 15, 1993. Middle image by Herman Postma.

1967 - Hiroshima Peace Bell, Peace Memorial Museum (East Building), Hiroshima (Japan). Small bell, displayed indoors (left image), and rung outdoors (right image) during the annual Peace Memorial Ceremony on August 6 (Hiroshima Day). Designed by Masahiko Katori [1899-1988]. Has calliraphy by Shigeru Yoshida, former prime minister of Japan. Cast by Oigo Bell Works, Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture (Japan). Left image courtesy of Satoko Nishizawa (Kyoto Boys Choir).

1967 - Friendship Bell, Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden, Lethbridge, Alberta (Canada). "Established during Canada's Centennial in 1967, Nikka Yuko was built to recognize contributions made by citizens of Japanese ancestry to the multi-cultural community of Lethbridge & as a symbol of international friendship. Its name was created from the Japanese words Ni (from Nihon meaning Japan), ka from Kanada or Canada, & Yuko, which translates as 'friendship' to mean 'Japan-Canada friendship'... The bronze Friendship Bell, which hangs in the bell tower, was commissioned specifically for Nikka Yuko & cast in Kyoto [by Iwasawa?]. The bell's deep tones ring a friendship call to all visitors."

1968 - Campana de Dolores / Bell of Dolores, Placita de Dolores / Plaza of Dolores, Los Angeles, California (USA). Replica of the bell associated with Mexican independence. "Actualmente, la Campana de Dolores se encuentra en la alta cornisa del balcon presidencial de Palacio Nacional, junto al Zocalo de la Ciudad de Mexico. Cada 15 de septiembre el presidente en turno la hace sonar, en conmemoracion del aniversario del inicio del proceso independentista mexicano."

1970 Japanese Peace Bell from United Nations in New York City is displayed for six months in the UN pavilion at Expo '70, Expo Memorial Park, Osaka (Japan). The bell is rung every day at Noon. Third image shows Tower of the Sun in Expo Memorial Park.

About 1970 - Peace Bell, Byodo-In Temple, Valley of the Temples, Oahu Island, Hawaii (USA). This temple was completed June 7, 1968, and is a replica of Byodo-in Temple which was originally built in 998 in the city of Uji, Kyoto Prefecture (Japan). Another replica served as Japan's official exhibit at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893.

T O W E R

B E L L

April 8, 1975 - Friendship Tower, Bagac (Philippines). Built by Rissho Kosei-kai of Japan as a sign of friendship and peace between the Philippines and Japan. Helps mark the places where the Bataan Death March started in 1942 (one in Bagac and the other in Mariveles). Dedication coincided with date on which Rissho Kosei-kai celebrates the birth of the Buddha Shakyamuni, founder of Buddhism.

1975 - Bell, Chiran Peace Museum for Kamikaze Pilots, Chiran (Japan). On site of the former Chiran Air Base.

Date? - Bronze Bell, Rochester Zen Center (RZC), 7 Arnold Park, Rochester, New York (USA). RZC was stablished in 1966 by Philip Kapleau & is one of the oldest Zen centers in the USA. The bell cannot be very large since it hangs from six thin chains. What are its date & origin?

1976 - Carilion Bell Tower, International Peace Garden, Dunseith, North Dakota (USA), and Boissevain, Manitoba (Canada). Constructed by North Dakota veterans as a US Bicentennial project. Contains bells made in England in 1932 but not donated to the Peace Garden until 1969.

October 3, 1976 - Korean Bell of Friendship, Angel's Gate Recreation Center, 3601 South Gaffey Street, San Pedro, California (USA). Near Los Angeles (whose sister city in Korea is Pusan). Gift from Korea to the people of the USA for the US bicentennial. Entry #80 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001).

1977 - Nagasaki Peace Bell, Hill of Yamazato, Nagasaki (Japan). Western style bell from Urakami Cathedral which survived the A-bomb blast on August 9, 1945.

B E L L

P A R K

July 4, 1978 - Liberty Bell Park (Gan Hapa'amon), Keren HaYesod & King David Streets, Jerusalem (Israel). "Herbert W. Armstrong wrote to the members & co-workers of the Worldwide Church of God, May 21, 1978: 'On July 4 there will be a big '4th of July Celebration' in Jerusalem, hosted jointly by the Mayor of Jerusalem, Teddy Kollek [1911-2007], and myself. The city of Philadelphia had an exact duplicate made of the Liberty Bell -- crack & all -- and gave it to the city of Jerusalem. In the spring of 1976 -- Passover time -- the Mayor came to me privately, and asked my help in building an important downtown park in Jerusalem, to be named the 'Liberty Bell Park.' Through the AICF [Ambassador International Cultural Foundation], I was able to agree to supply the children's playground area, at the very opening of the park. The park is now completed, and Mayor Kollek has asked me to be present on July 4 for the opening & dedication of the Liberty Bell Park." /// Herbert W. Armstrong [1892-1986] founded the Worldwide Church of God in the late 1930's, as well as Ambassador College in 1946, & was an early pioneer of radio & TV evangelism, originally from Eugene, Oregon. His teachings included the interpretation of biblical prophecy in light of British Israelism & required observance of parts of the covenant Law including seventh-day Sabbath, dietary prohibitions & the covenant law 'Holy Days.' He also founded the AICF, which promoted the arts, humanities & humanitarian projects. Armstrong & his advisers met with heads of governments in various nations, for which he described himself as an 'ambassador without portfolio for world peace.'"

October 1, 1978 - Okinawa Peace Bell, Peace Memorial Hall, Mabuni Hill, Okinawa (Japan). Donated by Lions International Club #337.

October 14, 1979 - Bell of Dana, Los Angeles Hompa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple, 815 East First Street, Los Angeles, California (USA). Donated by Mr. Yehan Numata of Toko, Japan. Weighs 2,500 pounds, is 3'2" in diameter and 4'6" high. Commemorates the 200th anniversary of the birth of this nation. Bell tower constructed as part of the temple's 75th anniversary commemoration.

1981 - World Peace Bell, World Peace Bell Park, Shravasti, Uttar Pradesh (India). "This is a large metallic Bell gifted to India by Japan in 1981 to be erected in the sacred Buddhist city of Shravasti." Not connected to World Peace Bell Association (qv).

Date? - Bell of Peace, Indosan Nipponji / Japanese Temple, BodhGaya, Gaya District, Bihar, (India).

1982 - World Peace Bell Association (WPBA), 2-36-1-701, Nishi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo (Japan). Founded by Tomijiro Yoshida (President of Life Co., Ltd.) to carry on the work of Chiyoji Nakagawa [1905-1972] and Masahiro Kataoka [d.1983]. The WPBA will place 20 World Peace Bells (WPB's) in 16 countries around the world. Three more bells remain at the foundry in Takahoka (Japan). Click here for the history of all 23 WPB's.

1985 (About 4 Asian Bells & 2 Western Bell2)

1985 - Friedensglocke / Peace Bell, in ruins of Aegidienkirche church, Mitte Quarter, Hannover (Germany). Replica of Hiroshima Peace Bell (qv). Donated by Hannover's partner city Hiroshima (Japan). "Struck at the memorial service for the victims of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on August 6 every year." [Google translation].

1985 - Hiroshima Peace Bell, Izumo Taisha Mission, North Kukui Street, Honolulu, Hawaii (USA). Said to be a replica of the Hiroshima Peace Bell. Hiroshima & Honolulu are sister cities. Both cities suffered from aerial bombardment during World War II.

1985 - Peace Bell, Fort William (Scotland). "Celebrates the bond of friendship between Dudley (England), Hiroshima (Japan) & Fort William (Scotland). Also commemorates the [1945] international peace cairn [qv] on the summit of Ben Nevis. One of the main forces behind this was Bert Bissell, M.B.E. [1902-1998], from Dudley in the West Midlands. The inscription reads 'May we all work together for peace and goodwill and live together as one great family.' The bell came from the old town hall, and the granite plinth came from parts of the old fort at Fort William." /// See 1945 Peace Cairn on Ben Nevis (Scotland) & 1972 Peace Cairn in Hiroshima (Japan).

1985? - Japanese Bell, Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, California (USA). A 2100-pound 16th-century Japanese bronze bell from a temple in Tajima Province -- present day Hyogo Prefecture (Japan). Ceremonially rung 108 times on New Year's Eve.

1985? - Millenium Bell, Yellow Crane Tower Park, Snake Mountain, Wuhan (China). In center of city overlooking theTangtze River.

August 9, 1985 - Nagasaki Peace Bell, Art Room, Richland Public Library, Richland, Washington (USA), city adjacent to Hanford Nuclear Site where the plutonium was produced which fueled the Trinity Test on July 16 and the Nagasaki bomb on August 9, 1945. Miniature of western style bell from Urakami Cathedral. Gift by the Mayor of Nagasaki (Japan) to the City of Richland on the 40th anniversary of the atomic bombing.

1986 (About 1 Asian Bell & no Western Bell)

1986 - Pacific Bell, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada). Designed by Masahiko Katori [1899-1988]. Dedicated by Yasuhiro Nakasone, Prime Minister of Japan.

1987 (About no Asian Bell & no Western Bell)

1988 (About 2 Asian Bells & 2 Western Bells)

June 1, 1988 - Nagasaki Peace Bell, Piskarevsky Memorial Cemetery, St. Petersburg (Russia). Western style bell. "Gift from the Nagasaki people to Leningrad." In 1985, the USSR erected a "Statue of Peace" in Nagasaki's Peace Symbols Zone (qv).

1988 - Peace Monument, Bicentennial Park (north of the distinctive water feature), Sydney, New South Wales (Australia). Metal sculpture by artist Michael Kitching. Commissioned by the NSW government in 1986 to commemorate the UN International Year of Peace (qv).

June 18, 1988 - World Peace Bell #1, Peace Park, Soya Misaki / Cape Soya, Wakkanai, Hokkaido (Japan). Extreme north end of Japan. Adjacent to about ten other monuments, including memorial for Korea Airlines flight 007. Click here to see Roy Sinclair from New Zealand at the bell in February 2001.

December 10, 1988 - World Peace Bell #2, Peace Loving Citizens Park, Ishigaki Island, Okinawa (Japan). Extreme south end of Japan.

1989 (About 3 Asian Bells & no Western Bell)

August 26, 1989 - World Peace Bell #3, Cinnah Caddesi, Cankaya, Ankara (Turkey). Scan courtesy of WPBA.

September 1, 1989 - Weltfrieden / World Peace Bell #4, Friedrichstain, Volkspark, Berlin (Germany).

September 2, 1989 - Stolen in 2002 - World Peace Bell #5, Warsaw Municipal Park, Warsaw (Poland). One of 20 WPB's placed in 16 different countries by the World Peace Bell Association of Tokyo (Japan). /// According to Gabriella Nyman Novak of Warsaw (8 Jan 2014), this bell was stolen in 2002 & never recovered. She intends to make a "reconstruction of the original bell" and to "discuss the themes of war, peace, war-time traumas and possible solutions" at a happening which is "supposed to take place in June 2015." /// Left image copied from unidentified website. Right image courtesy of Gabriella Nyman Novak. Click here for YouTube video in Polish.

1990 (About 5 Asian Bells & 2 Western Bells)

February 1990 - Sapporo Bell, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, Oregon, (USA). Gift from City of Sapporo, Hokkaido (Japan), to the City of Portland "in commoration of 30 years of sisterhood." Cast by Sotetsu Iwasawa, Iwasawa no Bonsho Co., Ltd., Kyoto (Japan). Rung electronically with bell from sister city Ulsan (South Korea) in sequence written by Robert Coburn.

April 1, 1990 - World Peace Bell, Tsurumi Ryokuchi Park (site of Expo '70), Osaka (Japan). Installed & dedicated during Flower Expo '90. Visited by the Emperor & Empress on April 23, 1990.

About 1990 - Bell, Gardena Buddhist Church, 1517 West 166th Street, Gardena (near Los Angeles), California (USA). Related to Gardena's sister city Ichikawa (a suburb of Tokyo), Chiba Prefecture (Japan). Cast by Sotetsu Iwasawa, Iwasawa no Bonsho Co., Ltd., Kyoto (Japan).

About 1990 - Friendship Bell, Washington State Convention & Trade Center, Seattle, Washington (USA). Gift from Yosoji Kobayashi, President of Nippon Television Network Corp. (NHK) and the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper chain (which buys newsprint from the State of Wshington).

October 4, 1990 - Campana de la Paz / World Peace Bell, Parque Lira, Tacubaya, Mexico City (Mexico). Bell encircled by chain link fence (radius about 100 m) - due to vandalism? Photo by EWL.

December 7, 1990 - Nagasaki Peace Bell, Honolulu Hale (City Hall), Honolulu, Hawaii (USA). Western style bell. Photo shows release of doves in mourning for loss of life due to the collision of the submarine USS Greenville with the Japanese fishing boat Ehime Maru on February 9, 2001.

Date? - El Hombre de la Paz Universal / Man of Univesal Peace, Av. Insurgentes, Mazatlan, Nayarit (Mexico). A towering golden figure holding a bell over his head. The plaque at his feet reads: "Hacer el bien produce buena suerte / To do good produces good luck."

1991 (About 4 Asian Bells & 1 Western Bell)

B E L L

About 1991 - Peace Bell, Chapel of the Holy Trinity, Musa Gebal / Mount Sinai, Sinai Peninsula (Egypt). Cast by Grassmayr Bell Foundry (qv) of Innsbruck (Austria). From plaque: "PEACE for everyone in the world!" From foundry brochure: "On Moses' Holy Mount of three religions (Judaism, Christianity & Islam) a bell rings for peace."

1992 (About 1 Asian Bells & no Western Bell)

September 15, 1992 - World Peace Bell , Cowra Civic Square, Cowra, New South Wales (Australia). There was a POW camp for Japanese and Italian military personnel in Cowra during World War II. On August 5, 1944 at least 545 Japanese POWs attempted a mass breakout from the camp, in perhaps the largest prison escape in world history. Japanese go there to visit the graves of family members.

1993 (About 2 Asian Bells & no Western Bell)

April 27, 1993 - World Peace Bell, Sukhbaatar Square, Ulan Bator (Mongolia).

Date? - Japanese peace monument, "World Peace Praying Park," New Bilibid Prisons Reservation (NBP), Muntinlupa City, near Manila (Philippines). Twin towers with simple medalion featuring a dove of peace (zoom image to see detail). Adjacent to Japanese bell, peace pole, historic Japanese Cemetery & shrine for Japanese dead. Sign above bell says "Ring the bell, praying for world peace" in Japanese. At Muntinlupa Prison in which Japanese prisoners were incarcerated after World War II. Information courtesy of Michio Hamaji, Tokyo, 13-17Mar2016. Images from website of Bureau of Corrections & Michio Hamaji. /// FYI: "A poem by two Japanese prisoners of war was made into a song [entitled "Muntinlupa"] by popular Japanese artist Hamako Watanabe [1910-1999] in the 1950’s. The poem was dedicated by prisoners Gintaro Shirota & Masayuso Ito to their executed comrades in the hills of Muntinlupa. The song, was said to have been the reason President Elpidio Quirino [1890-1956] pardoned the remaining Japanese prisoners (at time of the signing he was in the US seeking medical attention). He was quoted saying 'We share the destiny to be good neighboring countries' after signing the release papers."

1994 (About 2 Asian Bells & no Western Bell)

June 5, 1994 - Ohara Peace Bell, Enger Park, Duluth, Minneasota (USA). Cast by Oigo Bell Works, Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture (Japan). Commemorates sister city relationship with Ohara (now Isumi), Chiba Prefecture (Japan). Replaces bell cast in 1686 for Cho-ei Temple in Ohara which was brought to Duluth by sailors of the USS Duluth in 1946 and returned to Ohara on May 2, 1954. Right image is the original bell (now called the Japan-US Friendship Peace Bell). Middle image shows children's book about the bell by Margi Preus (2008). The story is also told in Resonance, a film by Square Lake Productons, Stillwater, Minnesota (USA).

December 10, 1994 - World Peace Bell, Quezon Memorial Park, Quezon Memorial Circle, Quezon City (Phillippines). Inaugurated at dawn on Human Rights Day by President Ramos.

1995 (About 1 Asian Bell & 4 Western Bells)

1995 - Children's Bell Tower, Bodega Bay, California (USA). By Bruce Hasson, founder of the "Bell Project" which promotes world peace by using melted-down firearms to cast bells which incorporate images of nonviolence and environmental concerns.

August 9, 1995 - Nagasaki Peace Bell, Hiroshima City University, Hiroshima (Japan). Miniature replica of the Western style bell from Urakami Cathedral which survived the A-bomb blast on August 9, 1945. Presented by Rengo Nagasaki to Rengo Hiroshima on 50th anniversary of the Nagasaki bomb. Click here to see peace monuments in Nagasaki.

Date? - Nagasaki Peace Bell, Peace Memorial Museum (East Building), Hiroshima (Japan). Miniature replica of the Western style bell from Urakami Cathedral which survived the A-bomb blast on August 9, 1945. Presented by Hiroshima-Nagasaki City Affiliation of Peace & Culture. Click here to see peace monuments in Nagasaki. Photo by EWL.

1995 - United Nations Peace Bell, Vienna International Centre (VIC), Vienna (Austria). Cast in Japan.

August 26, 1995 - "Prayer for Peace" Monument, Side of Mt. Sobo, Takachiho, Kyushu Island (Japan). Marks site of crash on August 30, 1945, by B-29 attempting to drop relief supplies at Miyata POW Camp #12.

1996 (About 3 Asian Bells & no Western Bell)

B E L L

April 1996 - Peace Bell (Bonsho), Gan Sacker / Sacher Park, Nahlaot, Jerusalem (Israel). Engraved with the quote from Psalms: "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. They shall prosper that love thee as well." (Posthumous plagiarism?) Inscription on ground beneath the bell: "This Bonsho has been placed here as a symbol of lasting peace over the City of Jerusalem. The concept of the bell welcomed by the late Prime Minister of Israel Mr. Yitzhak Rabin. This project was made possible by the donations of people whose names are listed in the scroll beneath the Bonsho, represented by Mr. Rikihiro Madarame, presented to the City of Jerusalem and accepted by the mayor M.K. Ehud Olmart. April 1996." English portion of inscription inside the bell: "Koto Oho Shiga Pref Japan, Kinjudo Co., Ltd., 1996.4" The Jerusalem bell has no external striker & therefore cannot be properly rung. Rikihiro Madarame founded Nemic-Lambda, a top producer of power-switching equipment, in 1970. N.B.: This bell was dedicated just days before the International Friendship Bell in Oak Ridge, Tennessee (USA). Upper image by EWL 27June2011. Lower image made 5March2015 during march by "Women Wage Peace."

S I G N

Date? - Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem sign, inside the Garden Tomb, near Damascus Gate, Jerusalem (Israel). From Psalm 122:6: "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee" [King James Version]. Visited by EWL.

May 3, 1996 - International Friendship Bell, Bissell Park, Oak Ridge, Tennessee (USA). Represents 50th anniversary of the City of Oak Ridge. Paid for in part by contributons by the people of sister city Naka-Machi (Japan). Only inscriptions on the bell are PEACE, INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP, and the dates of Pearl Harbor, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and VJ Day. Bell cast by Sotetsu Iwasawa, Iwasawa no Bonsho Co., Ltd., Kyoto (Japan). Pavilion designed by University of Tennessee architecture professor Jon Coddington. Lower left image shows Hiroshima Boys Choir singing at the bell on March 30, 2006. Lower right image shows deliberate destruction of rotten bell pavillion on July 28, 2014. Click here to read history of this bell. Click here to see pictorial history. Click here to hear this bell on website of Ray Adams. UR by Herman Postma. LL image by EWL. LR image by Knoxville News Sentinel.

November 4, 1996 - World Peace Bell, City Hall, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada). Hung outdoors at first (left image). Later placed on floor overlooking central atrium (right image). Left image courtesy of WPBA. Right image by EWL 12August2012.

1997 (About 1 Asian Bell & 1 Western Bell)

April 27, 1997 - World Peace Bell, International Holistic University, Brasilia (Brazil). Offered after a visit to Japan by Pierre Weil [1924-2008], founder of International University for Peace (UNIPAZ) & City of Peace Foundation. Scan courtesy of WPBA.

B E L L

October 12, 1997 - Friedensglocke des Alpenraumes / Peace Bell of the Alpine Region , Hotel Habhof, Mosern bei Seefeld, Upper Inntal Valley (Austria). Commemorates the 25th anniversary of the ARGE ALP agreement signed in Mosern by eleven Alpine states to "seek joint solutions in the fields of culture & economy, agriculture & traffic." Rings every day at 5:00 pm. Cast at the Grassmayr Foundry in nearby Innsbruck. Second image shows spectacular view from the bell of the Inn River Valley. Visited by EWL.

1998 (About 2 Asian Bells & 2 Western Bells)

February 3, 1998 - Campana de la Paz Mundial / World Peace Bell, Japanese Garden Center, Buenos Aires (Argentina). Commemorates centennial of peace between Brazil & Japan [sic].

May 19, 1998 - La Cloche de la Paix / Peace Bell, Japanese Garden, Montreal Botanical Gardens, 4101 Sherbrooke Street East, Montreal, Quebec (Canada). "Created from an original design by Masahiko Katori [1899-1988], modelled on the Hiroshima bell." Presented by the Hon. Takashi Hiraoka, Mayor of Hiroshima, after signing a sister city agreement between the two cities. Entry #1357 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001).

1998 - Bell of Peace ("Hirarillon"), Okahigashi Cho Park, Hirakata?, Osaka (Japan). Carillon (Western-style bells) & monument depicting the legend of separated lovers, the stars Vega & Altair (right image).

November 11, 1998 - Northern Ireland Peace Bell, Páirc Síochána d'Oileán na h'Éireann / Island of Ireland Peace Park, Mesen / Messines, near Ypres, Flanders (Belgium).

1999 (About 2 Asian Bells & 4 Western Bells)

February 17, 1999 - Campana de la Paz Mundial / World Peace Bell, Parque La Carolina, Quito (Ecuador).

1999 - Bell of Peace, International Centre of Culture (The Pyramid), Boulevard Deshmoret e Kombit, Tirana (Albania). "Made as a memorial to peace by the children of Shkodra. Its metal comes from thousands of bullet cartridges, fired off during the lawless 1990's." "Originally the mausoleum for Stalinist dictator Enver Hoxha [1908-1985], the Pyramid has seen the eviction of Hoxha's corporeal remains and the burgeoning of Albania's interest in the culture and arts."

September 25, 1999 - Bell of World Peace, Taipei (Taiwan). Conceived by Dr. Hong Tao Tze, President of the Federation of World Peace & Love (FOWPAL). Bell has traveled all over the world & has been photographed with many world leaders.

B E L L

December 31, 1999 - World Peace Bell, Newport, Kentucky (USA) -- just across Ohio River from Cincinnatti, Ohio. World's largest free-swinging bell. Dedicated on the eve of the new millenium. Project begun by Wayne Carlisle, president of the Millenium Monument Company. Inscribed "The World Peace Bell is a symbol of freedom and peace, honoring our past, celebrating our present, and inspiring our future." Cast in Nantes (France) by Paccard Bell Foundry on December 11, 1998, the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The Bell has an inscription commemorating that document, as well as engravings marking the most important events of the past 1,000 years." Not associated with World Peace Bell Association (Japan). Entry #355 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001). Click here for air view. Click here for other peace bells. Visited by EWL.

December 31, 1999 - Vandalized About 2005? - Millennium Bell, Grand Circus Park, Detroit, Michigan (USA). On east side of the park. Ten ton bell celebrating the new millennium. Designed by Chris Turner & Matt Blake [1965-2008]. "One day, years ago, Blake discovered the ringer was missing. Different stories circulate about how & where he found the ringer. In any event, according to artist & friend Jerome Ferretti, Blake took the ringer to his garage & sent a 'ransom note' to the city, demanding that officials protect the ringer before he would return it. 'Matt was outrageous,' Ferretti says."

December 31, 1999 - American Freedom Bell, 3500 Shamrock Drive, Charlotte (North Carolina). Seven feet tall, seven feet wide, and weighing seven tons. "World's largest bell at ground level." Dedicated on the eve of the new millenium. "Jewish conceived" (i.e. largely paid for by the Belk department store fortune). Between the new Charlotte Museum of History and the old (1774) Hezekiah Alexander rock house. "Marks Charlotte as the first focus of freedom from Britain with its Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence publicly signed [in 1775] 14 months before the Philadelphia document."

2000 (About 5 Asian Bells & 5 Western Bells)

January 1, 2000 - Peace Bell, Imjinjak Park, Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) (Korea). Over 7 feet in diameter, over 12 feet tall & weighs 21 tons. "As we bid farewell to the 20th Century in which we witnessed the division of the Korean Peninsula, we welcome the 21st Century as a time of reunification and peace for all makind."

January 15, 2000 - Peace Bell, Martin Luther King, Jr. Civic Center Building (west entrance), 2180 Milvia Street, Berkeley, California (USA). Cast from melted guns for the 50th anniversary of the UN Charter (signed in the War Memorial Building in nearby San Francisco) by Bruce Hasson, founder of the "Bell Project" which promotes world peace by using melted-down firearms to cast bells which incorporate images of nonviolence and environmental concerns. Rung at the War Memorial Building by Attorney General Janet Reno.

February 5, 2000 - World Peace Bell, Evergreen Taoist Religious Order, near Brisbane, Queensland (Australia). Chinese shape. "A symbol of freedom peace & human rights."

B E L L

2000 - Glocke für den Frieden "Concordia" / Concordia Peace Bell, Summit of Kronplatz [2,272 m], Bruneck/Branico (Italy). In German speaking part of Italy. Designed by artist Paul de Doss-Moroder from Gröden and cast by bell foundry Glockengiesserei Oberascher in Salzburg (Austria), the bell weights over 18 tonnes and is set on an 11 m wide panorama platform. Inscribed "Donet deus populis pacem" / "God gives peace to the people." Has view of the wonderful mountain landscape between the Zillertaler Alps and the Dolomites. Rung on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday at 12:00 am. Originally identified by Dr. Jutta Lehmann of Blaichach (Germany).

B E L L

About 2000 - Peace Bell, Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance (OREPA), Oak Ridge, Tennessee (USA). Portable bell made from war surplus oxygen tank. Used during protests at the Y-12 National Security Complex. Middle image shows Motoko Fujishiro Huthwaite (Moderator of Presbyterian Women, Presbytery of Detroit, Michigan) ringing on August 6, 2009 (Hiroshima Day). Right image shows the bell at Y-12 surrounded by anti-nuclear posters from Hiroshima.

July 6-17, 2000 - Peace Bell, 1st Choir Olympics, Linz (Austria). "Go to the “Hauptplatz” in Linz (picture!) and find house no. 33. There’s a small entrance that leads you to a backyard. If you enter you will see a very special bell. It’s the original bell of the first-ever World Choir Games (WCG). In 2000 they were held in Linz for the first time, formerly known as the 'Choir Olympics.' At that time its chime had opened the world’s first 'Choir Olympics' & at the closing, after the Prizegiving ceremony, it has officially closed the first WCG. Our bell has its place of honor now, very close to the Hauptplatz" /// "The young history of the Choir Olympics begins with a drum-roll in the Upper Austrian provincial capital of Linz: For the first time in the history of the international choral movement, so many choirs from numerous nations come together to participate in a universal choir competition and at the same time celebrate a great festival of choral music. The Choir Olympics are born and are from now on firmly established in the diaries of many choirs from all over the world. Patron: Dr. Thomas Klestil, Federal President of the Republic of Austria.

August 11, 2000 - UN Peace Bell Garden, United Nations, New York City, New York (USA). Designed & built by Shinichiro Abe, ZEN Associates, Inc., Woburn, Massachusetts (USA). Symbolically represents the seven continents of the globe, as depicted on the UN flag. Surrounds the 1954 Japanese Peace Bell (qv).

Fall 2000 - Nagasaki Peace Bell, Red Church, Nezalezhnastsi/Independence Square, Minsk (Belarus). Western style bell as at Urakami Cathedral. Named "Angel." Gift to the Red Church & Belarussian people by diocese of the Roman Catholic Church of Nagasaki (Japan).

November 11, 2000 - Millennia Bell, Assisi (Italy). In Michelangelo's Campidoglio. "In 1999, Bruce Hasson made his largest bell, called Millennia. Weighing 1700 pounds & cast in carbon steel, using melted guns, it is a monument to human survival. The shape of this bell is unorthodox, & it is indeed a unique and inventive piece of sculpture. The ambiguity of its structure is itself a poignant comment on destiny. The sides of the Millennia Bell are carefully patinaed & embellished with reliefs recalling the imagery & geometry of early cartographers. The work is intended to inspire peace, as well as humanity's search for a sustainable environment. This bell was first installed at [ Michelangelo's] Campidoglio in Rome [as seen in image], during the 2000 Nobel Peace Prize Conference, where Mikhail Gorbachev struck it during its dedication. It is now installed in the holy city of Assisi." /// Click here for video of the dedication ceremony.

December 15, 2000 - "Marca da Paz / Mark of Peace" (Peace Bell), downtown, Sao Paulo (Brazil). Plaque: "This landmark symbolizes the ideal of all people in the search of peace, fraterinty and solidarity."

Date? - Korean War Memorial, Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza, Phoenix, Arizona (USA). Across the street from the Arizona state house. "A stylized pagoda with a ceremonial temple bell weighing approximately two tons." Pagoda inscribed "Freedom is Not Free." Bell probably made in South Korea.

2001 (About 1 Asian Bell & 3 Western Bells)

January 26, 2001 - World Peace Bell, Maguire Gardens, Los Angeles Public Library, Los Angeles, California (USA).

2001 - Peace Bell, Centre of the Peacemaze, Castlewellan Forest Park, Castlewellan, Dounty Down (Northern Ireland).

November 11, 2001 - Ring of Peace, First United Methodist Church, Beech & 2nd Streets, Casper, Wyoming (USA). By Chris Navarro. "You may remember that Matthew Shepherd, a young gay man, was murdered by homophobes in Laramie, Wyoming, in the late 1990s. There's nothing in Laramie to commemorate him, but if you visit the website his parents created, they recommend you see a statue called the Ring of Peace in Casper, that's dedicated first to Matthew, and also to the victims of the Columbine shootings [and 9/11]... a nice idea, but it's just sad how run down and crappy it looks. It was possible for me to take a nice picture of it, but only if I was very careful to crop out almost all the surroundings."

Date? - Peace Carillion, Shinjuku-Chuo Park / Shinjuku Central Park, Shinjuku, Tokyo (Japan). About one block northwest of Tokyo Municipal Building. Twelve bells ranging from the smallest at the bottom to the largest at the top. Visited by EWL 10/08.

2002 (About no Asian Bell & 3 Western Bells)

2002 - Peace Bell, International Christian University (ICU), Minato-ku, Tokyo (Japan). Western bell in tall bell tower.

September 11, 2002 - "Bell of Hope," Trinity Church, 79 Broadway (at Wall Street), New York City, New York (USA). Inscribed, "To the greater glory of God and in recognition of the enduring links between the City of London and the city of New York." Cast July 26, 2002, by Whitechapel Bell Foundry which cast the Liberty Bell in 1752. Weighs 294.84 kilograms.

October 19-17, 2002 - Peace Bell, 2nd Choir Olympics, Busan (South Korea). "The Choir Olympics go to Asia for the first time. Busan, the South Korean port metropolis, is an outstanding host, giving the event an unmistakably Asian face and proving that the Choir Olympic Idea could also finds adherents in the Far East, resulting in enthusiasm all over the world. Patron: Ahn Sang-Yong, Mayor of the City of Busan.

2003 (About 4 Asian Bells, 2 Western Bells, 1 Cluster & 1 Gong)

February 2003 - Campana de la Paz / World Peace Bell, Alcobendas, Madrid (Spain). Photo courtesy of WPBA.

April 21, 2003 - World Peace Bell, Babur Culture & Recreation Park, Tashkent (Uzbekistan). Photo courtesy of Anatoly Ionesov (International Museum of Peace & Solidarity, Tashkent)

June 20-October 2003 - Topiary Hiroshima Peace Bell, Mosaicultures Internationales / Mosaiculture International (3rd annual), Old Port, Montreal, Quebec (Canada). Temporary monument made of living plants.

2003 - Liberty Bell, The Highground Veterans Memorial Park, Neillsville, Wisconsin (USA). An exact replica of the original Liberty Bell. Cast in France, mounted on a trailer, and taken to thousands of schools throughout the USA. Now housed in an authentic timber frame building made by Master Timber Framer Lyle Lindholm and volunteers.

2003 - Winter War Monument, Suomussalmi (Finland). "The Winter War began with the Soviet invasion of Finland on 30 November 1939 & ended with the Moscow Peace Treaty on 13 March 1940. The League of Nations deemed the attack illegal and expelled the Soviet Union from the League on 14 December 1939... This stone field reminds us of the human suffering which the war brought [and] impels the viewer to reflect on the mindlessness of war... The monument contains 105 brass bells, one for each day of the Winter War." /// This is "Monday's Monument" #85.

September 11, 2003 - Peace Bell, Veterans Park, Ridgefield Park, New Jersey (USA). Community response to the terrorist attack in nearby New York City on September 11, 2001. Uses a 19th century church bell purchased from a dealer in Brooklyn, Michigan. Otherwise, remarkably similar to Japanese peace bells such as the 1954 bell at United Nations headquarters in New York City.

December 12, 2003 - Peace Bell, "Memorial Hall for Compatriots Killed in the Nanjing Massacre," Nanjing, Jiangsu Province (China). Dedicated one day before the 66th anniversary of the Nanjing massacre. Model of this bell is in the Kyoto Museum for World Peace, Kyoto (Japan).

Date? - Gong Perdamaian Dunia / World Peace Gong, Mount Muria, Jepara (Indonesia). Original WPG. Made world tour.

2004 (About 1 Asian Bell, 1 Western Bell & 1 Gong)

June 8, 2004 - 50th anniversary of the Japanese Peace Bell at UN Headquarters in New York, New York (USA). A series of commemorative UN postage stamps is issued on June 3.

July 8-18, 2004 - Peace Bell, 3rd Choir Olympics, Bremen (Germany). "The Hanseatic city of Bremen continued the success story of the Choir Olympics, proving to be an excellent host of the world’s biggest choir competition. The closeness of the event locations and the compact setting of the city center created an unbelievable atmosphere. Music was made and sung on every street corner of the city center, so that one could truly take the Choir Olympic Idea completely literally: singing together brings nations together. Patron: Dr. Henning Scherf, President of the Senate of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen.

August 4, 2004 - Peace Bell, Mountain Spirit Center (MSC), 8400 Juniper Way, Tehachapi, California (USA). Founded in 1993, MSC is a Korean Zen Buddhist temple affiliated with the Kwan Um School of Zen, founded in America by Zen Master Seung Sahn [c1927-2004].

August 24, 2004 - Gong Perdamaian Dunia / World Peace Gong #1 (WPG#1), City Park, Penglai, Shandong (Republic of China). First permanent WPG.

2005 (About 4 Asian Bells & no Western Bell)

May 29, 2005 - Kushinagar World Peace Bell, Nirvana Temple, Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh (India). Kushinagar is an important Buddhist pilgrimage site and where Gautama Buddha died. "Nirvana Temple is one of the most frequented amongst Buddhism shrines in the world."

2005? - Peace Bell, Sarnath World Peace Bell, Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh (India). "In the spring of 2005, after the 16th Nyingma World Peace Ceremony in Bodhgaya, plans were initiated to install a second World Peace Bell in Sarnath. In this way, we were following the Buddha's path from Bodhgaya to Sarnath, where the Enlightened One first turned the wheel of the Dharma. The Maha Bodhi Society of India, the primary caretaker of the Sarnath site, built a new temple at Sarnath in 1931, the Mulagandha Kuti Vihara, and empowered it with relics of the Buddha. This temple is renowned for its beautiful & unique Indo-Japanese inspired murals of the Buddha's life story. Directly outside of the temple is a sapling of the original Bodhi Tree from Bodh Gaya, also planted in 1931, which has now grown to fill the courtyard. Here pilgrims come to circumambulate the holy tree & pay their respect to the statues of the Buddha & his first five disciples. This holy garden, with a view of the Damekh Stupa, was envisioned as the location of the second World Peace Bell. Both Bhikkhu Rewatha Thero, the Maha Bodhi Society of India Secretary General, & Bhikkhu Sumeeda, in charge of the Sarnath compound, were eager and honoured to have the second World Peace Bell installed. Indeed, their original bell — donated by the Japanese Buddhist community — was broken, & replacing it would be deeply auspicious.Construction began on March 17, 2005. When the bell was ready for dedication, the Maha Bodhi Society's Sangha gathered to chant the Dharmacakkappavattana Sutta, the Buddha's first teaching. The World Peace Bell, which can be heard up to 7 kilometres away has provided a new focal point for worship for the Sarnath community. May its tones dispel & purify all negativities."

September 2005 - World Peace Bell, Motohama Ryokuchi Park, Amagasaki, Hyougo Prefecture (Japan), near Osaka.

October 9, 2005 - "Japanese Belfry & Friendship Bell, Hulsey Woods, Birgingham Botanical Gardens (BBG), 2612 Lane Park Road, Birmingham, Alabama (USA). "A [Rotary] Centennial Twin Club project between the Rotary Club of Shades Valley, Alabama, [and] the Rotary Club of Osaka Central Japan. The objective of the project is to promote world peace, friendship & understanding through the exposure to an authentic Japanese bell housed in a traditional style Japanese belfry. The Rotary Club of Osaka Central donated the bell & designed the architectural plans for the belfry."

2006 (About 2 Asian Bells, no Western Bell & 1 Gong)

July 15-26, 2006 - Peace Bell, 4th World Choir Games (WCG), Xiamen (China). "The Choir Olympic Idea reached a further apogee in the up-and-coming South Chinese metropolis of Xiamen. With their perfect organization and identification of the populace with the World Choir Games, the hosts offered an event of superlatives in every sense of the word. Never before was an event of the international choral scene given such attention by politics and the media as in Xiamen. For the first time a choir of ambassadors from 80 countries sang at the opening ceremony. Patron: Zhang Changping, Vice Governor of the Fujian Province.

October 3, 2006 - World Peace Bell, Botanic Garden, Hagley Park, Christchurch (New Zealand). "Came about through the initiative of Christchurch resident Roy Sinclair who in 2004 made an epic 3,500 km bike ride the length of Japan." Click here to see Roy Sinclair at the WPB in Wakkanai in February 2001 [sic]. /// Text of plaque: "...made from coins and medals donated by 103 countries of the world which have been mixed with copper and is a symbol of peace which gives the impression that the world is one… The World Peace bell which stands in the courtyard of the United Nations headquarters in New York is rung annually by the UN Secretary General in prayer for peace on the occasion of the opening of the UN General Assembly...” "

September 11, 2006 - Gong Perdamaian Dunia / World Peace Gong #2 (WPG #2), Gandhi Smriti, Birla Bhavan / Birla House, New Delhi (India). Second permanent WPG. Vistited by EWL. Other World Peace Gongs in Bali (Indonesia), Geneva (Switzerland), Shandong (China), Godollo (Hungary), Vientiane (Laos), etc.

2007 (About 1 Asian Bell & 1 Western Bell)

2007? - Peace Bell, City Hall, 500 Donald Street East, Thunder Bay, Ontario (Canada). "Thunder Bay & Gifu City (Japan) have had a formal Sister City relationship since 2007. On July 9 every year, the anniversary of the day in which air raids occurred in Gifu, the Peace Bell is rung in the hope of creating a world of mutual harmony & prosperity,” Shigemitsu Hosoe, [Mayor of] Gifu City, said in a statement. 'I hope that you & those in your city can share our wish, and that the ringing of the Peace Bell opens up an opportunity to tell the future generations of the importance of peace.' /// Commented Mayor Keith Hobbs [of Thunder Bay], 'Every year, we celebrate [the sister city] relationship, as well as call for world peace, during this ceremony, held at the same time in Thunder Bay & Gifu City. As our peace bell rings throughout our downtown south core, the tolling of Gifu City’s peace bell sounds throughout their streets, as well.'"

August 4, 2007 - World Peace Bell, Hieizan Enryaku-ji Temple, Mount Hiei, Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture (Japan), near Kyoto. Dedicated at 20th annual Interreligious Gathering of Prayer for World Peace sponsored by "Nihon Shukyo Daihyosha Kaigi" (Japanese Conference of Religions). Nearby rival, Onjoji (Miidera) Temple, has the temple bell alleged to have been stolen (and returned) by mythic warior monk Benkei [1155-1189].

2008 (About no Asian Bell, 2 Western Bells & 2 Gongs)

April 15, 2008 - Gong Perdamaian Dunia / World Peace Gong (WPG), Godollo, Magyarország (Hungary).

Date? - Gong Perdamaian Dunia / World Peace Gong (WPG), City? (Mozambique).

May 21, 2008 - Peace Bell, Áras an Uachtaráin, Phoenix Park, Dublin (Republic of Ireland). The bell, dating from the 19th C, is suspended from a central piece of oak from the grounds of Áras an Uachtaráin, and supported by two oak trunks, one from Shane's Castle Demesne, County Antrim, the other from the Glencairn/Leopardstown Park Hospital area. Marks the 10th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. Áras an Uachtaráin is the former Viceregal Lodge and is the official residence of the President of the Republic of Ireland. Right image shows US President Barak Obama & Irish President Mary McAleese planting a tree at the bell in May 2011.

July 9-19, 2008 - Peace Bell, 5th World Choir Games (WCG), Graz (Austria). "The biggest and most successful choir competition of the world found its continuation in Austria. Graz, capital city of the province of Styria, is at the crossroads between different European cultures from the east and west, north and south. The unique old city center is one of UNESCO's world cultural heritage sites. In the year 2003, Graz was the spectacular cultural capital of Europe and in 2008 it was the world's capital of choral singing. Patron: Dr. Heinz Fischer, Federal President of the Republic of Austria.

2009 (About 1 Asian Bell, 1 Western Bell & 1 Gong)

May 26, 2009 - World Peace Bell, World Peace Bell Park, Hwacheong-un, Gangwon Province (South Korea). "A bell praying for world peace is to resonate in this, the world's last divided country [sic]. Made from empty cartridge cases from battlefields all over the world. The park spans 7,450 square meters [sic] in a region where remnants of historical conflict remain. In the 1980's, the Chun Doo-hwan regime needed a countermeasure against possible deliberate flooding by North Korea via the Mt. Geumgang Dam, and even collected funds from citizens to build the Peace Dam. But as the northern threat slackened, construction was called off and then on again. It was finally completed in 2005." Not associated with the World Peace Bell Association (WPBA) of Tokyo (Japan).

October 30, 2007 - World Peace Bell Park, Hwacheon County, Gangwon Province (South Korea). "Project started in 2005 with an idea of Mr. Jeong Gap-cheol, the elected executive of Hwacheon County. The Peace Bell, which will hang in the park, is to be cast next year from spent bullets and shells from many of the world's armed conflicts."

June 25, 2009 - Peace Bell, Nicholas Roerich Museum, Novosibirsk, Siberia (Russia). "Reminds the humanity about their unity and inspires them to maintain peace on the Planet and protect the unique beauty of the Earth. Peace Bell symbolizes universality, solidarity, harmony and constructive endeavors of people of the whole world. Besides it fosters people to actively participate in preservation of nature, life, and culture heritage on our Planet... In Russia this tradition has been promoted and patronized since 1998 by Anatoly Nikolayevich Berezovoi, Soviet Cosmonaut, Hero of the Soviet Union [sic]." Information courtesy of Ekaterina Gracheva.

October 7, 2007 - Nicholas Roerich Museum, Novosibirsk, Siberia (Russia). "Carries out extensive cultural and educational activities: exhibitions, literary and musical slaydprogrammy, social and scientific conferences , round tables, concerts. In the museum exhibition includes photographs from the archives of the Roerich family of Nicholas Roerich Museum in New York, reproductions of paintings of Nicholas and Svetoslav Roerich, as well as temporary exhibitions of other artists , various other exhibits. [Google translation]"

2009 - Gong Perdamaian Dunia / World Peace Gong, Ambon city centre, Ambon Island, Maluku Islands (Indonesia). "Erected to remind the people of Maluku & the visitors of a fundamental need for peace & security. On the surface of the gong, national flags of all countries around the world & the symbols pertaining to religions, including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism & others, have been printed. According to Florence Sahusilawane, spokesperson for the Maluku Culture & Tourism Office, the gong has been attracting a lot of local & foreign tourists. She noted that the 34th world peace gong [sic] was set up in the centre of Ambon to inform the world that the area is safe for tourists. Florence said the World Peace Gong has been set up in the Maluku provincial city of Ambon instead of Indonesia`s capital city because peace & security has been restored in the province after a three-year sectarian violence."

2010 (About 2 Asian Bells & 1 Western Bell)

Date? - Peace Bell, 228 Peace Memorial Park, Taipei (Taiwan).

2010? - Friedensglocke aus Nagasaki/Nagasaki Peace Bell, Henri Dunant Museum, Asylstrasse 2, Heiden (Switzerland). "The Henry Dunant Museum Gentiles obtained after many years of contact with the Red Cross Japan and the authorities of the city of Nagasaki given a copy of the Angelus bell. The famous original is in one of the oldest Christian churches in Japan. The bell was during the atomic bomb attack on Nagasaki on 9 August 1945, with very few damages recovered in the rubble. Since 1988, duplicates are cast away and to places which were the victims of war or natural disasters, such as Hiroshima, Chernobyl, Leningrad or Honolulu. As a major exception receives Gentiles, in honor of Red Cross founder Henry Dunant [1828-1910] such a peace bell. Gentiles to take out the spirit of peace further into the world. On 13 October 2009 was the 100-pound bell from a delegation of the Henry Dunant Museum (Böhi John and Marlis Hörler Böhi), the Red Cross both Appenzell (Jessica Kehl) and the hospital Gentiles (Othmar Deputy throat. Director, chief physician medicine), to be taken at a ceremony in the Faculty of Medicine Nagasaki, reception. The necessary funds were made available to the city by members of the medical faculty of the University of Nagasaki and residents. Over six weeks took the sea voyage of the Peace Bell on the freighter 'Louise Schulte' Nagasaki to Hamburg by train via Rorschach to Heiden. Since Monday 29 March 2010 is the Peace Bell of Nagasaki, Japan, in the entrance hall of the hospital Gentiles. At a later stage the Peace Bell will receive its final location at the Henry Dunant Museum and there solemnly inaugurated. [Google translation]"

July 15-26, 2010 - Peace Bell, 6th World Choir Games (WCG), Shaoxing (China). "Grand & of primitive simplicity, which represents the dignity of the Chinese nation. The symmetry & stability symbolize the spirit of harmonious development in the world. Topped with a knob with the shape of Pu Lao, which as the legend said liked singing & was one of the nine sons of the Dragon. The shoulder part of the bell is decorated with relief sculpture of lotus petals which symbolizes Shaoxing People’s wish for world peace. The emblem of the WCG & the emblem of the 6th Shaoxing WCG are carved in relief on the front side of the bell, where the characters of 'Shaoxing 2010' can also be found, while 'Peace Bell' written in both English & Chinese is on the back of the bell to express its meanings. Decorated around with the majestic dragon, which is the symbol of the Chinese nation. 25 nails stand for 2,500th anniversary of the founding of Shaoxing. Besides, the ornaments of the chime-shaped bell are all objects unearthed from Shaoxing, which are the symbols for music & peace. The bell, 120cm in height, 80cm in diameter & 400kg in weight is cast by modern scientific method combined with traditional technology with the craft effect of black spots & verdigris." /// First rung by selected participants form six countries: from China, Indonesia, Australia, Austria, South Africa & USA.

2011 (About 1 Asian Bell & 1 Western Bell)

April 9, 2011 - Peace Bell, Southernmost Peace Park, West Martello Tower, Key West, Florida (USA).

T R A I L

September 25, 2010 - "Path of peace," Mile Marker 99, Key Largo, Florida (USA). "[First of] a string of 22 outdoor sites throughout the Florida Keys where people can relax, gather their thoughts & re-energize their souls. 'They will be spaces for people to go who are in distress, or just so they can get away from computers, televisions and cell phones,' said Denise Downing, a member of the Keys to Peace leadership team. 'The sites will be a place to go & focus on gathering more inner peace.' The idea is to build peace parks from Key Largo to Key West, & Downing said Keys to Peace has had initial talks with the Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Gardens. In fact, Downing said she envisions a 'peace trail' that links one peace park to another along the Keys. /// "Each park will feature a peace bell made from a recycled dive tank, an identification plaque ("Community Peace Park – We are ALL the Keys To Peace.") & seating. Keys To Peace will provide host sites with a bell primed & ready for custom artwork. Mounting of the bells & installation of additional enhancements (sculpture, wind chimes, peace poles, labyrinths, water features, etc.) will vary by location."

August 23, 2011 - Peace Bell, Kinmen Island (Taiwan). 2 meters high & weighs 5.3 metric tons, designed by Taiwanese architect Kris Yao & inscribed with the word 'peace' in more than 100 languages. Cast from copper & metal from the cannon shells fired in the battle. Along the sides of the bell are the small ridges that symbolize the obstacles that are likely to arise in the pursuit of peace. Photo shows President Ma Ying-jeou; former South African President Frederik Willem de Klerk; Song Kosal, a youth ambassador from the International Campaign to Ban Landmines; and a veteran of the 1958 battle during ceremony to mark the 53rd anniversary of the 823 Artillery Bombardment during which China fired more than 470,000 shells at Kinmen over a period of 44 days in 1958. (Kinmen was formerly called Quemoy. de Klerk received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.)

2012 (About 1 Bell)

July 4-14, 2012 - Peace Bell, 8th World Choir Games (WCG), Cincinnati, Ohio (USA). "Will be 3 feet in diameter at its base & 34 inches tall. Will be etched with iconic Cincinnati buildings & landmarks that will serve as World Choir Games venues, such as Music Hall & Fountain Square. Workers at Verdin's foundry at 3900 Kellogg Avenue will begin casting the bell in October 2011 & likely will finish making it about three months later, Jim Verdin said. Once completed, the bell will be installed in a 10-foot tall framework & weigh about 1,000 pounds." /// "The Peace Bell is rung at the opening & closing ceremonies & is a call for all nations to join together in song & celebration. INTERKULTUR, Germany-based founder & operator of the World Choir Games, initiated the concept for the bell in 2000 when the first Games were held in Linz (Austria). Cincinnati-based Verdin Company will design & manufacture the bell. 'This is a great fit for us,' President Jim Verdin said. 'We are honored to create a special Peace Bell for what promises to be one of the great events in the history of our city.'"

2013 (1 Asian Bell & 1 Western Bell)

August 13, 2013 - "Friendship & Peace Bell," Good Samaritan Hospital, Los Angeles, California (USA). "A bell was unveiled in a Los Angeles hospital on Wednesday as a monument to long-standing ties between the hospital & its sister facility in South Korea. Named 'the Friendship and Peace Bell,' it rang Wednesday in the dedication ceremony. It did not ring only to mark the unveiling but also because when the dedication took place it was Thursday in South Korea. That is Korean Independence Day... The bell was made by Won Gwang-sik, who crafted the Bosingak Bell [sic], which is designated as South Korea’s National Treasure No. 2."

October 1, 2013 - Carillon Bell, Peace Palace, The Hauge (Netherlands). "The Carillon Foundation The Hague with this bell (ca. 775 kg, tone fis1, pedal key es1) on October 1, 2013 Peace Carillon completed. The clock was a gift to mark the centenary of the Peace Palace." [Google translation from Dutch] Info courtesy of Peter van den Dungen.

2014 (About 2 Asian Bells & 2 Western Bells)

May 2, 2014 - Kinmen Peace Bell, University of Scranton, Scranton, Pennsylvania (USA). "Gift from the government of Taiwan. Scranton is the only institution of higher education in the world to receive such a gift. Symbolizes Chinese characteristics such as peace & freedom. Engraved with the word 'peace' in more than 100 languages... The original bell was dedicated in 2011 on Taiwan’s Kinmen Island (Quemoy) to mark the 53rd anniversary of the 823 Artillery Bombardment. Kinmen was the site of an intense 44-day battle in 1958, during which China’s People’s Liberation Army fired more than 450,000 artillery shells upon it, killing 2,600 people. The original bell is cast from copper and metal from artillery shells from this battle."

May 26, 2014 - “Swords to Plowshares” memorial, Raleigh, North Carolina (USA). Also called "a mobile Armistice Bell Tower & 'Swords to Plowshares' Peoples History Exhibit." /// "...a 24-foot tower made of recycled metal, a rolling hat-tip to all victims of war... It stands temporarily alongside the N.C. State University Memorial Belltower, manned 24 hours a day. Roger Ehrlich & [the] Veterans for Peace, hope visitors will remember that this year marks the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I, the 'war to end all wars.' It killed 16 million people, introducing the world to chemical warfare, flamethrowers & tanks. The Wolfpack Belltower itself was built [in 1937] to honor those veterans, and this dedication appears on its side: 'In memory of those who served their country in the world war.' On the tower’s door, it reads, 'and they shall beat their swords into plowshares...' The [mobile] monument will travel to the Veterans for Peace convention in Asheville in July 2014." /// Includes bell forged with the date 1886 in Hillsboro, Ohio, & discovered at the construction site of the Church of Reconciliation in Chapel Hill, NC. /// Information courtesy of Roger Ehrlich, Cary, NC.

August 16, 2014 - Peace Bell, Fredsmonument / Peace Monument, Morokulien, between Magnor (Norway) and Eda (Sweden). /// In the Minister grove. Dedicated on 100th anniversary of Morokulien with invited guests from South Korea. The Minister grove itself was founded in 2004, on the 90th anniversary. "Summer 1814 was our two countries for the last time at war with each other, maintained parliamentary president Olemic Thommessen in his speech. He pointed out that Norway retained a liberal Norwegian constitution and the best conditions to develop the Norwegian democracy and Norwegian society within the new union with Sweden. The Scandinavian peace period began thus with a war. But also with political prudence and willingness to compromise from leaders on both sides... On Saturday event undertook also the presentation of peace watches that will link together with Norway, Sweden and Korea. Peace bells are located in Oslo (Voksenĺsen), peace center in Morokulien & World Peace Bell Park in Hwacheon in South Korea." (Google translation). Information courtesy of Nigel Young & Peter van den Dungen.

October 26, 2014 - Friedensglocke / Peace Bell, Parish Church of Linz, Linz (Austria). Replaces bell confiscated by the Nazis & melted down for war purposes. 2,200 kg with peace dove on reverse side. Cast at Bachert Bell Foundry in Karlsruhe (Germany). Dedicated to the Blessed Franz Jagerstatter [1907-1943] & his wife Franziska. Information courtesy of Gerard Lössbroek.

Future (About x Asian Bells & x Western Bell)

Future - Three World Peace Bells, Oigo Bell Works, Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture (Japan). Cast for the World Peace Bell Association (WPBA) of Tokyo (Japan). In storage outside building in which they were cast and awaiting placement somewhere abroad. Photo by EWL taken October 3, 2008.

Future - World Memorial, New York, New York (USA). "Throughout centuries, bells have been the universal voice for freedom, celebration and loss. Let's host in true Manhattan style, the world's largest, 100-ton, manual carillon – of unprecedented seven octaves. Each bell represents a nation that lost a citizen in the WTC tragedy. In consultation with World Peace Bell, Verdin Foundry (one of the oldest family business in America), NY area representative Scott Edgell, Schulmerich Carillons, and the North American Guild of Carillonneurs, 82 harmonically-paired bells (totaling over 100 tons), would chime quarterly and offer live performances for public ceremonies and celebrations. During anniversary ceremonies, 9/11 family members and distinguished guests may individually toll the 42,000-pound base bell. This 11-ft diameter bell is mounted at waist level, between the two WTC corner columns. Its extraordinary size and placement invites visitors to touch the beautiful inscriptions."

World Peace Bell (WPB):

Inspired by the 1954 peace bell at the United Nations in New York City, the World Peace Bell Association (WPBA), Tokyo (Japan) -- Tomijiro Yoshida, President -- has placed 20 World Peace Bells in 16 different countries. All World Peace Bells are shown above in chronological order. Also click here for special webpage about World Peace Bells.

World Peace Bell (Dharma Bells):

Ten or more "Dharma Bells" of the Light of Buddhadharma Foundation International (LBDFI).

2005 - World Peace Bell, Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh (India). #6 of ten "Dharma Bells" of the Light of Buddhadharma Foundation International (LBDFI). "The deer park in Sarnath is where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma." /// "The World Peace Bell, which can be heard up to 7 kilometres away, has provided a new focal point for worship for the Sarnath community. May its tones dispel & purify all negativities." "Sarnath is the four main pilgrimage sites related to the life of Gautama Buddha, the other three being Kushinagar, Bodh Gaya & Lumbini."

June 25, 2008 - World Peace Bell, Nalanda, Bihar (India). #3 of ten "Dharma Bells" of the Light of Buddhadharma Foundation International (LBDFI). Directly across from the main entrance to the Nalanda archaeological site. Nalanda is "the site of the greatest monastic university of the ancient Buddhist world... The site itself is huge, and villages all around the central enclosure have evidence of ancient remains,... the main stupas of Shariputra & Maudgalyayana, the remains of monasteries & temples and the Nalanda Museum..."

March 5, 2012 - World Peace Bell, Sri Pada (Sri Lanka). #1 of ten "Dharma Bells" of the Light of Buddhadharma Foundation International (LBDFI). "The 21st World Peace Bell... Given by Venerable Tarthang Tulku on behalf of TNMC in honor of the 2600th year of Buddha’s enlightenment." Sri Pada is also known as Adam's Peak. "It is an important pilgrimage site, especially for Buddhists. Pilgrims walk up the mountain, following a variety of difficult routes up thousands of steps."

2013 - World Peace Bell, Sankasya, Uttar Pradesh (India). #2 of ten "Dharma Bells" of the Light of Buddhadharma Foundation International (LBDFI). This is "where the Buddha returned to the earth from the heavenly realm at the end of the seventh Vassa -- one of the eight ancient sites of pilgrimage."

Date? - World Peace Bell, Rajgir, Bihar (India). #4 of ten "Dharma Bells" of the Light of Buddhadharma Foundation International (LBDFI). "It was here that Gautama Buddha spent several months meditating, and preaching at Gridhra-kuta / Hill of the Vultures."

Date? - World Peace Bell, Vaishali, Bihar (India). #5 of ten "Dharma Bells" of the Light of Buddhadharma Foundation International (LBDFI). "The Buddha often visited Vaishali in the course of his journeys. Capital of the oldest known republic, the Vrijan confederacy, it was known as a marvelous city, full of gardens & with prosperous & elegant inhabitants"

Date? - World Peace Bell, Mahaparinirvan Premises, Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh (India). #7 of ten "Dharma Bells" of the Light of Buddhadharma Foundation International (LBDFI). Kushinagar "is an important Buddhist pilgrimage site, where Buddhists believe Gautama Buddha attained Parinirvana after his death." "Kushinagar is one the four main pilgrimage sites related to the life of Gautama Buddha, the other three being Lumbini, Bodh Gaya & Sarnath."

Date? - World Peace Bell, Lumbini (Nepal). #8 of ten "Dharma Bells" of the Light of Buddhadharma Foundation International (LBDFI). "Lumbini "is the place where Queen Mayadevi gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama (Gautam Buddha)." "The bell is adjacent to the eternal peace flame, a short distance from the exact spot where the Buddha was born." "Lumbini is one of the four main pilgrimage sites related to the life of Gautama Buddha, the other three being Kushinagar, Bodh Gaya & Sarnath."

Date? - World Peace Bell, Shravasti, Uttar Pradesh (India). #9 of ten "Dharma Bells" of the Light of Buddhadharma Foundation International (LBDFI). "In the grounds of the Burmese Temple near the entrance to the Jetavana." Shravasti "was one of the six largest cities in India during Gautama Buddha's lifetime."

2007 - World Peace Bell, Bodhgaya Bihar (India). #10 of ten "Dharma Bells" of the Light of Buddhadharma Foundation International (LBDFI). "This 2.5 tone bronze bell was offered by Venerable Tarthang Tulku. Every morning & evening, the sound of the great Peace Bell at Bodhgaya rings out over the temple compound... Stands in its own pavilion in the meditation park to the south west of the main temple. The arch of the bell was gold leafed in 2009 and it stands surrounded by beautiful gardens and fountains." /// "Bodh Gaya is famous as it is the place where Gautama Buddha is said to have obtained Enlightenment (Bodhimandala)... It is the most important of the main four pilgrimage sites related to the life of Gautama Buddha, the other three being Kushinagar, Lumbini & Sarnath."

Gong Perdamaian Dunia / World Peace Gong (WPG):

Hard to determine number & location of permanent gongs since one or more gongs are exhibited temporarily in different locations. Many if not all World Peace Gongs are shown above and below in chronological order. Click here for website of the World Peace Committee (WPC), sponsor of the World Peace Gong (WPG). Chick here for article about World Peace Gongs.

According to the Google translation of an Indonesian web page: "The name of world peace gong, status means unifying brotherhood of mankind throughout the ages, the creator of Dr. Djuyoto Suntani president of world peace, world peace committees institution, the size of two feet (2 m), a mixture of metals, from the village of plajan (PLAZA) Jepara - Central Java Indonesia, in a permanent place in 202 countries worldwide, the first launch in Bali December 31, 2002, by the president of the republic of Indonesia Megawati Sukarnoputri 's mother, the second launch in Geneva - Switzerland (Europe ) by the Secretary General of the United Nations Mr. Kofi Annan.

Placing first in Penglai city - Shandong , China, 20 August 2004 at the launch by Mr. president china. Hu Jintao, second placement, in New Delhi, India, 11 September 2006, was inaugurated by Prime Minister of India Mr . Manmohan Singh. Placement in Indonesia, in the city of Ambon [known as the centre of sectarian conflicts 1999-2002], Maluku province, 25 November 2009, inaugurated by Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

The largest world peace gong size of 5 meters in world peace gong park covering 70 hectares in Kertalangu - denpasar Bali . outer circle flag 202 countries worldwide, the writing center circle pair WORLD PEACE GONG interest of world peace as an identity, in the ninth circle of the world's largest religious symbol, a circle crest globe / globe . with placement record in 202 countries around the world is a contribution to world peace president Mr. Djuyoto Suntani Jepara-born character who had a profound influence on the entire world to unite the planet."

According to the Google translation of an Indonesian web page: "Gong Perdamaian Dunia (World Peace Gong) is located in the city of Ambon, made in 2009, after a kerusuan. Gong are contained within 35 flag states, namely: 1. China, 2. India, 3. Mozambique, 4. Laos, 5. Hungary, 6. Egypt, 7. Canada, 8. Netherlands, 9. Iran, 10. Finland, 11. Venuzuela, 12. Morocco, 13. North Korea, 14. South Korea, 15. Malaysia, 16. Thailand, 17. Bosnia, 18. Japan, 19. Suriname, 20. Germany, 21. Austria, 22. South Africa, 23. Vietnam, 24. Papua New Guinea, 25. United States, 26. Australia, 27. Cuba, 28. Singapore, 29. Croatia, 30. Russia, 31. Algeria, 32. Philippines, 33. Poland, 34. Ukraine, 35. Indonesia. (Photograph dated February 16, 2011). "

	Date? - World Peace Gong (WPG), Jepara, Indonesia). Near Mount Muria. "The WPG as the only facility to unify mankind in the whole world, came from the village of Plajan-Mlonggo-Jepara, Central Java, Indonesia." Chick here to read more. Original WPG. Made world tour. Is this image correct?		August 24, 2004 - WPG #1, City Park, Penglai, Shandong (Republic of China). "First Home Country of World Peace Gong."
	September 11, 2006 - WPG #2, Gandhi Smriti, Birla Bhavan / Birla House, New Delhi (India). Second permanent WPG. Visited by EWL.		Date? - (Mozambique).
	April 15, 2008 - World Peace Gong #5, Szabadság (Liberty) Square, Gödöllo, Magyarország (Hungary). "...the fifth in the world and the first & only European peace gong. Given by Indonesia as a symbol of world wide friendship to the town of Gödöllo. The gong, a symbol of fraternity, shows the flags of all the countries, the symbols of all the religions & the maps of the oceans of the Earth. It was created by the World Peace Committee as a memento for the bomb attack in Bali in 2002. The Gong was offered to Gödöllo in 2007 as an acknowledgement of advances in civilization, technology & economy as well as the peaceful social circumstances in Gödöllo. The Gong weighs 150 kg; it is a 2m diameter bronze circle relic, the work of Djuyoto Suntani, an Indonesian sculptor. The gong was inaugurated on 2 May 2007. The story of the gong is engraved in the small plaque in front & the park around it is populated with shrub species typically found in the Tropics. The gong remains in excellent condition, apart from the scratching out, prior to 2009, of the Israeli flag."		November 22, 2008 - Gong Perdamaian Dunia / World Peace Gong (WPG), Patuxay, Vientiane (Laos).
	2009 - Gong Perdamaian Dunia / World Peace Gong, Ambon city centre, Ambon Island, Maluku Islands (Indonesia). "Erected to remind the people of Maluku & the visitors of a fundamental need for peace & security. On the surface of the gong, national flags of all countries around the world & the symbols pertaining to religions, including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism & others, have been printed. According to Florence Sahusilawane, spokesperson for the Maluku Culture & Tourism Office, the gong has been attracting a lot of local & foreign tourists. She noted that the 34th world peace gong [sic] was set up in the centre of Ambon to inform the world that the area is safe for tourists. Florence said the World Peace Gong has been set up in the Maluku provincial city of Ambon instead of Indonesia`s capital city because peace & security has been restored in the province after a three-year sectarian violence."		November 25, 2009 - Gong Perdamaian Dunia / World Peace Gong (WPG), Pelita Square, Ambon (Indonesia). "Ambon past racial conflict that had suffered casualties. But not anymore, Ambon has been transformed into a city of peace. The proof is the World Peace Gong Monument in Ambon... In peace gong pinned all religions & world flags. Propped up two giant pillars, above there is also a symbol gong ideology of Pancasila as the nation of Indonesia." [sic]
	Date? - Gong Perdamaian Dunia / World Peace Gong (WPG), World Peace Gong Park, Kertalangu, Denpasar , Bali (Indonesia). Size of 5 meters (largest of several WPG's in various countries). Park covers 70 hectares "...characterized by the presence of 'World Peace Monument' in the form of statues of world peace leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Bung Karno, Madame Theresa, Barack Obama & other world leaders for peace in the midst of a vast expanse of green grass & beautiful [sic]." Site of 202 nation summit of World Peace Committee (WPC), July 5-7, 2014. Images show Miss World contestants visiting the gong in September 2013.		Dr. Djuyoto Suntani, President, Komite Perdamaian Dunia 'The World Peace Committee (WPC), Jakarta (Indonesia). N.B.: Web address shown on card is not functional.

Please email your comments & questions to geovisual @ comcast.net. Thank you.

Return to Peace Monuments main page.