[1] The bell is covered with figures of tortoises, crabs, dragon, phoenix, deer and a representation of the Buddha.
A series of lines are engraved along the middle of the bell, dividing the upper from the lower part.
[2] The bell has an inscription in six scripts, including Chinese, Sanskrit, Mongolian and Tibetan.
Scholars debate whether the bell was cast by Chinese bellsmiths or if it was forcibly made by Korean craftsmen under pressure from the Mongol invaders as an effort to enforce their subjugation of the Korean state.
[5] The bell was believed to be one of the oldest in the country, dating back to the Koryo period, until one was found in 2002 that was almost 150 years older than it.