men from the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company. The Mingun Bell was again the world's heaviest functioning bell from its resuspension in 1896 until 1902. The Mingun Bell regained its status as the heaviest functioning bell in the world in 1942. The Shitennō-ji Temple Bell In 1902, the newly-cast 114-ton Shitennō-ji Temple Bell was hung in Osaka, Japan. The Shitennō-ji Temple Bell reigned as the heaviest functioning bell in the world from that year until 1942, when it was melted down for its metal to assist with the then-ongoing World War II effort. The Bell of Good Luck Cast on New Year's Eve 2000, the Bell of Good Luck is located in the Foquan Temple in Pingdingshan, Henan, China. The bell weighs 116 metric tons (255,736 lbs.) and it is 810.8 cm (318 in) in height and 511.8 cm (201 in) in diameter. The Bell of Good Luck has therefore claimed the title of heaviest functioning bell in the world since its construction in 2000, up to the present date. The Tsar Bell The 216-ton Russian Tsar Bell (also known as the Tsar Kolokol III) on display on the grounds of the Moscow Kremlin is the heaviest bell known to exist in the world today. However, a very large piece broke off from the Tsar Bell during a fire which engulfed the tower the bell was intended to be hung in, so this irreparably damaged bell has never been suspended or rung. The Tsar Bell cannot be considered as the heaviest functioning bell in the world due to its inability to serve as a percussion instrument. Rather, it may be considered to be the largest bell, or at least the largest bell-shaped sculpture in the world. Existing bells Bells weighing 50,000 lbs (25 short tons) or more: Destroyed or lost bells Bells weighing 50,000 lbs (25 short tons) or more, no longer in existence (lost or destroyed): Gallery See also American Bell Association International Bellfounding Campanology Carillon Russian Orthodox bell ringing References External links Blagovest Russian Church Bells:A Select List of Russian Bells Weighing 36,100 Pounds or More Guild of Carillonneurs in North America Russian Orthodox leader blesses new church bells at holy site List of heaviest Bells Burmese musical instruments Chinese musical instruments German musical instruments Japanese musical instruments Russian musical instruments Heaviest or most massive things