The School Bell of Nankai in the 1930s

Before the Japanese army destroyed the University in 1937, an old School bell stood by the western side of Siyuan Hall. This bell, with four arched beams as brackets, hanged upon the 2-meter-high base. The old School bell was cast by the German Krupp Arsenal Factory, which was a commemorative gift to Li Hongzhang for his birthday.

The bell, cast with the full text of Diamond Sutra on its surface, weighed over 13,000 jin (approximately 6,500 kg). Later, Li Hongzhang placed this bell in Haiguang Temple. In 1900, after the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded Tianjin, the Haiguang Temple was occupied by the Japanese army, the bell was transferred to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of the British Concession as a fire alarm to hang in Victoria Park (now Liberation Park). It was not until the end of the First World War in 1918 that the British Concession Bureau returned the bell. At that time, the old site of Haiguang Temple was occupied by Japanese army and was included in the scope of Japanese Concession. In 1930, President Zhang Boling found it a pity to leave the bell abandoned since the abbot of the Haiguang Temple had resumed secular life. After several rounds of negotiations with the authorities, the clock was moved to Nankai University as the school bell.

On June 20th, 1931, Nankai University held the ninth commencement ceremony and the bell ceremony. Since there were 34 graduates that year, the bell was ringed 34 times.

According to an article “Hearing the Bell at Balitai” published in Beiyang Pictorial, “the extremely large Bell is hanged on the vermillion metal bracket. The lofty stone base underneath is carved with patterns, which makes the Bell classy and elegant. The sound is calm but vigorous. When you hear the Bell in the auditorium, the sound is still clangorous and makes you feel in an ancient temple.” On the first anniversary of the September 18th Incident, to commemorate the national shame, teachers and students in Nankai University rolled the bell for three days, 9 times on the first day, 1 time on the second day and 8 times on the third day. The bell roared and the sound could be heard far away. Afterwards, this Bell, which was used in grand ceremony such as opening and commencement ceremonies each year, became an alarm bell hanging in the hearts of teachers and students of Nankai. On July 29, 1937, Japanese army bombarded Nankai University. On the 30th, the school bell and a batch of books and equipment were robbed away by Japanese army. Henceforth, their whereabouts remained unknown. After the victory of Anti-Japanese War, President Zhang Boling once sent letter to the head of the Chinese military delegation to Japan and earnestly asked him to pay attention to the school bell of Nankai which was robbed away during the War, but no news heard.

The Re-cast School Bell in 1997

In July 1997, at the time of the 60th anniversary of the bombarding of Nankai, Nankai alumni donated money for rebuiling the school bell in order to memorize the history and warn the future. The school bell hangs on the beam of a cooper frame. It weighs over 3,000 kilograms and is 1.937 meters in height which implies that the Nankai people should bear in mind the national and school shame of Japanese aggression against China in 1937. Around the bell is carved 60 school badges, symbolizing the 60-year path of Nankai University after being bombed by the Japanese army. Both sides of the ring connecting the bell and the bracket are decorated with the module of lions on Marco Polo Bridge, symbolizing the historical witness of the July 7th Incident in the War of Resistance. Chinese characters on the bell are written by Kang Yin and Kang Moru, two famous calligraphers. The south side of the bell is engraved with “Nankai” in Chinese character, the east side the school song, the north side the school motto, i.e. “Dedication to public interests, acquisition of all-round capability, and aspiration for progress with each passing day”,and the west side the inscription written by Professor Wang Dajin of Nankai University. The inscription is as follows: “On the coast of sea, Nankai was founded; elites converge here, and the prestige ever lasts.

Zhou Enlai, the light of the nation, once studies here; the Marco Polo Bridge Incident happened, and the Japanese enemy raged in our motherland.

The enemy destroyed our campus, and the Bell thus was lost; the new bell is cast now, and ring resoundingly.Students gather in Nankai University; they dedicate to public interests, acquire of all-round capability, and keep energetic.

Aspiring for progress with each passing day, Nankai leaps forward in science and education; how great Nankai University is, and may its career last boundless.”

 “Nankai” in Chinese Characters on the surface of the School Bell