The oldest bell in Tam’s collection, which was bought in Nha Trang, is a relic from the ancient Champa culture. Another old bell which has the size of one’s hand was found by Tam in the former imperial city of Hue. One of Tam’s favorite bells is the one he bought at an antique market in Ho Chi Minh City. This bell belonged to an American soldier who was in southern Vietnam in 1972.
 Bui Duc Tam now owns more than 200 bells, which are from various countries around the world. |
The majority of Tam’s collection are bells from European countries which he bought from antique and souvenir shops during his trips to Europe. They are call bells at restaurants, door bells and animal bells.
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“Once I was told by a Buddhist monk that the sounds of bell beaten by a monk can tell his level of achievement in Buddhism. As a bell collector, I should learn to understand the bell sounds. The collected bells are also valuable to me due to their old age.”
Bui Duc Tam
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Bui Duc Tam’s unique bell collection
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