The largest and heaviest bronze ding from over 2,000 years ago

This magnificent bronze ding (cooking vessel), the largest and heaviest of its kind yet unearthed from the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770-256 BC), manifests power and grandeur in its design.

The ding features a 12-character inscription along its rim and two Chinese characters "An Bang" (securing the nation) etched both on its front foot and the outer wall of its lower left side. The latter symbolize the hope for national stability and prosperity of the Chu State.

Unearthed in 1933 from the tomb of King You of Chu in Shouxian county, Anhui province, the artifact became a permanent collection of the Anhui Museum after nearly two decades of displacement. Because of its special experience during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), the ding vessel serves as the prototype for the National Memorial Ding, which was unveiled on Dec 13, 2014, the first China National Memorial Day for the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre.