A misty autumnal rain left no damper on the spirits this weekend as the National Bell Festival broke ground at the U.S. National Arboretum on a new Japanese structure for the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum. Called a shōrō, the roofed but wall-less structure will offer protection to a sacred Japanese temple bell, called a hanshō, that was cast in 1798.
A gift from the National Bell Festival, the bell will be dedicated and installed on New Year's Day – but first it needs a fitting home. The shōrō will be built of cedar by Japanese woodworking specialist Peter Wechsler. It will provide cover from the elements while allowing the bell's resonance to permeate beyond.
After brief remarks from Paul Ashe, director of the National Bell Festival, two members of the All Beings Zen Sangha offered a traditional Buddhist chant for blessings and protection. The spade was then tipped into the earth, officially commencing this exciting new construction project on the Arboretum grounds. The build is expected to be completed by December, in time for an unveiling of the sacred bell during the 2024 National Bell Festival.
Image: Paul Ashe (center, with spade) stands with members of the National Bell Festival Board of Directors, representatives from the U.S. National Arboretum, members of All Beings Zen Sangha, and supporters at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 23, 2023.
Image: Members of the All Beings Zen Sangha offer a traditional Buddhist chant for blessings and protection during the groundbreaking ceremony in the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum at the U.S. National Arboretum on Sept. 23, 2023.
Don't forget!
Join us on New Year's Day for the dedication ceremony to hear the resonant tolls of the hanshō ring out for the first time.
Cover image: Paul Ashe, director of the National Bell Festival, plunges a spade into the earth in the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum at the U.S. National Arboretum on Sept. 23, 2023, for the groundbreaking of a new Japanese shōrō.
