Bosingak - Bell Tower, Seoul

Bats in the belfry? Nope, they're just my bells, baby.

Bosingak's belfry housed the Seoul city bell which was rung to open and close the city gates each day. It was originally built in 1396 at Insadong, then was move to Jongno in 1413, and rebuilt in 1440. Like everything else in the free world, it was destroyed during the Japanese invasion of 1592, then rebuilt in 1619. Destroyed twice more, this time by fire, and rebuilt twice more in the 1600s and 1800s. Destroyed again during the Korean War, the present Bosingak was completed in 1979.

Bosingak is located on Jongno which is Korean for "Bell Street", near the entrance to Jonggak Station on Line 1.

Bosingak is a Belfry structure. name is bell of Seoul Bosingak. In ancient times the bell was rung 33 times at four o'clock in the morning and 28 times at ten o'clock in the evening, marking the time to open and close the gates of the capital. The original bell (King Sejo (1468)) is moved display in the National Museum of Korea. King Gojong named it Bosingak in the his reign (1895). at present, ring out the old year 33 times from 1956.12.31 at Bosingak.