The Purple-Gold Bells are Sai Taisui’s best-known treasure in Journey to the West. This is not one bell but a group of three, each with a different power: fire, smoke, or yellow sand. Together they form a three-part attack system.
Three Golden Bells
The novel states that the first bell releases three hundred zhang of firelight, the second three hundred zhang of smoke, and the third three hundred zhang of yellow sand.
The yellow sand is especially deadly: once it enters the nostrils, it can kill. The three bells therefore divide fire attack, smoke attack, and sand attack.
Worn on the Body
Sai Taisui guards the bells carefully and keeps all three at his waist whether moving, sitting, or resting. They are portable waist treasures rather than large ritual instruments.
Sun Wukong Steals the Bells
To defeat Sai Taisui, Sun Wukong disguises himself and enters the cave. With the help of the Lady of the Golden Sacred Palace, he steals the bells.
At first he does not understand them. When he removes the cotton plugging their mouths, one ring sends out smoke, fire, and yellow sand, startling even him. Once he learns their use, he turns them against Sai Taisui.
Three Different Sizes
The novel also supplies useful dimensions: the middle bell is about the size of a tea cup, while the two side bells are about the size of fists. CG should therefore not make all three identical.
CG Visual Language
The Purple-Gold Bells should appear as:
- a set of three
- purple-gold or dark-gold metal
- one larger bell in the center
- two smaller bells at the sides
- a group that can hang at the waist
- one elemental effect assigned to each bell
One bell releases fire, one smoke, and one yellow sand. Their visual value comes from three similar objects producing three entirely different disasters.
