Located in Pugan-dong, Kaesong City, Namdae Gate was built between 1391 and 1393 during the Goryeo Dynasty as the southern gate of the inner wall surrounding the city of Kaesong. Like other ancient castle gates in Korea, it features a pavilion with a gabled roof on its stone facade. The gate is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The Yonbok Temple Bell, installed on the gate, is one of the three renowned bells in Korea. Originally cast in 1346 for Yonbok Temple (which was located in Kaesong at the time), the bell was moved to the gate after the temple was burned down in 1563.
Until early 1990, the bell was rung to signal the time to the residents of Kaesong. Its sound is so clear and loud that it is said to be audible from up to 40 kilometers away. The bell features elegant and beautiful reliefs. Weighing approximately 14 tons, it stands 3.12 meters tall, has a thickness of 23 cm, and a circumference of 1.9 meters at the base. It is the largest of the old bells preserved in Korea and a valuable historical relic that demonstrates the advanced metal-casting techniques of the Goryeo period.