Korean Friendship Bell, Belfry of Friendship (1976) 

Korean craftsmen

DESCRIPTION:  cast bronze bell mounted within a wood and stone pavilion (gift of the South Korean government):
  • 12-foot high by 7.5-foot diameter, 17-ton, cast bronze bell covered with relief images and paired with a suspended external wood striker 
  • painted wood and stone pagoda-style pavilion supported by 12 columns and erected on a 4-foot high 40-foot by 40-foot stone foundation
  • bell ringing:  ceremonial bell ringing usually occurs at noon on the first Saturday of the month (recommencing June 5, 2020), in addition to the following annual occasions:  
American Independence Day, July 4thKorean Independence Day, March 1stKorean American Day, January 13thConstitution Day, September 17thNew Year's Eve, December 31st

The Korean Friendship Bell, more formally named the Korean Bell of Friendship, was modeled after the Divine Bell of King Seongdeok the Great that was cast in 771 and is now located at the National Museum of Gyeongju.  This bell's exterior reliefs depict four pairs of Korean images:  the Korean Goddess of Liberty paired with symbolic Korean spirits (Korean flag, Korean national flower, laurel branch, dove of peace).  The Belfry of Friendship houses the bell and is a traditional stone and wood pagoda-style pavilion on an elevated stone platform.  It is embellished with colorful painting in the dancheong style and is supported by 12 columns (representing the Korean zodiac).  The bell and pavilion were presented to the United States by the South Korean government in 1975 to commemorate the United States bicentennial and as a token of friendship.  The bell installation and pavilion were constructed by thirty Korean craftsmen over a 10-month period, and were dedicated on October 3, 1976.  A full restoration in 2013 supported a re-dedication on January 10, 2014.  
LOCATION:   top of knoll, Angel's Gate Park near S. Gaffey Street and 37th Street, San Pedro, California, USA