A major archeological find has uncovered 50 bronze cauldrons -- iconic artifacts of ancient Chinese culture -- in a tomb in east China, shedding light on rituals from the dawn of civilization.
Known in Chinese as "ding", the characteristic cauldrons were unearthed at the Wuwangdun tomb in Anhui Province. The tomb has been confirmed by the National Cultural Heritage Administration as the largest and highest-level tomb from the ancient Chu state, dating back over 2,200 years.
Originally used to prepare food, ding became the core ritual vessel of the late Shang Dynasty (1600 to 1046 B.C.), symbolizing aristocracy and power.
Some of the bronze cauldrons have lids and had not been disturbed before being unearthed, leaving the relics inside relatively complete, which is rare in similar Chu state tombs, according to researchers.
In a recent excavation, archeologists carried out cleaning and relic extraction of three bronze cauldrons in large, medium and small size, and discovered relatively complete animal vertebrae, about 30 centimeters long, and more than 20 relatively complete ribs in the large-size cauldron.
After identification and analysis by zoological and archaeological experts, it was discovered that the vertebrae and ribs came from a pig that was about one year old.
"At present, we have discovered the remains of 15 animal species. The preliminary results showed that the livestock include pigs, dogs, and cattle. There are some other wild species, including sika deer, geese, and pheasants. We also discovered some fish, such as grass carp and common carp. Some animal remains have no heads, and some have their hooves removed. There are many cauldrons with lids, so the remains inside are original," said Zhang Zhiguo, cultural relics protection manager of Wuwangdun archaeological excavation project.
According to Zhang, the excavation project team have carefully followed the work process for unearthed cultural relics. They first took photos of each bronzeware to be cleaned and recorded the external information, then extracted the attachments outside the bronzeware, classified each attachment, and took photos of cleaned bronzeware for archiving.
In the following steps, a team member opened the lid and gradually extracted the liquid, animal bones, silt and other remains at the bottom of the bronzeware, paying special attention to the position and relationship of the relics inside to make detailed records.
"Our analysis is comprehensive. Throughout the extraction process, we take pictures at each stage, what is put first and what is put next, how were the animals disassembled and put into the cauldron, these are all historical information," said Zhang.
Archaeologists said that these discoveries are of great significance for understanding ancient documents and rituals.
"Through subsequent identification, it is worth paying attention to see which kind of cauldron holds which kind of sacrifice. This can supplement our understanding of the ancient literature. The actual liturgical activities may be far richer and more complex than we know," said Zhang Wenjie, leader of the first archaeological team for the excavation project.
Unearthing of bronze cauldrons reveals details of ancient Chinese life
Chinese President Xi Jinping has a deep connection with Latin America, having visited the region multiple times and contributing to the strengthening of ties between China and the continent.
Xi is en route to Peru to attend the 31st APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Lima and for a state visit. After the Peru trip, he is scheduled to fly to Brazil for the 19th G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro and a state visit to the country.
Since becoming the Chinese head of state, Xi has flown to Latin America five times and visited 11 countries in the region. There, he met with state leaders, witnessed the signing of cooperation deals, visited local farms, sipped Costa Rican coffee and was gifted an Argentine soccer jersey with his name on it.
Back in 2013, Xi along with his wife Peng Liyuan visited the home of a coffee grower named Marco Zamora during his state visit to Costa Rica.
The Zamora family warmly welcomed their Chinese guests with fresh fruits, homemade desserts and coffee.
While chatting with the 77-year-old patriarch, Xi shared his impression of Costa Rica and its people, praising their simplicity, strong work ethic, and wisdom of the Costa Rican people.
"I came here with the hope of seeing how our people are living. I once worked at the grassroots level. I was a farmer for seven years," Xi said.
Zamora expressed his hope that Chinese consumers will enjoy coffee his family produces.
During Xi's visit, China and Costa Rica signed a number of agricultural trade agreements, paving the way for more high-quality Costa Rican products to enter the Chinese market.
A decade later, Costa Rican specialty coffee has established a strong foothold in China, benefiting more coffee farmers along the way.
In Ecuador, a man who was pulled alive from the rubble of the devastating 2016 earthquake thanks to the China-aided ECU-911 emergency system still vividly remembers his meeting with Xi at the emergency response service's headquarters, where he expressed his gratitude to the Chinese government in person.
On April 16, 2016, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Ecuador, leaving Pablo Cordova trapped under the debris. In desperation, he called for help through ECU-911, a China-assisted emergency response service, and was rescued.
Later, Cordova secured a job with ECU-911, the very system that had saved his life.
On Nov 17, 2016, Xi arrived in Quito, capital of Ecuador for a state visit. On the next day, Xi visited the ECU-911 headquarters, where he met with Cordova. Xi offered words of encouragement and showed concern for Cordova's recovery.
"We've heard what happened to him. Your tenacious fight against the disaster is a reflection of the spirit of the Ecuadorian people. I believe you will excel in your career," Xi said.
Addressing the China-Latin American and Caribbean Countries Leaders' Meeting in Brazil in 2014, Xi proposed that China and Latin America and the Caribbean build a community with a shared future, charting the course for the development of China-Latin America relations in the new era.
Over the years, Xi has on many occasions reiterated China's willingness to work with the region to advance Belt and Road cooperation and to deepen and consolidate cooperation between the two sides.
Chancay, a natural deep-water port located 78 km north of Lima, is a flagship Belt and Road project. Once in operation, it will become a major gateway to the oceans and a crucial hub in the South Pacific, helping redistribute cargo from countries such as Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, and Paraguay. Moreover, the sea freight time from South America to Asia will be reduced by half, from 45 days to 23.
The port is expected to boost trade and connectivity within and beyond the continent.
Over the past decade, China and Latin America have strengthened their partners under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
So far, 22 countries in the region have signed BRI cooperation documents with China. Joint projects, including the Belo Monte Hydropower Plant ultra-high-voltage transmission line in Brazil, Argentina's Belgrano Cargas railway and the Jamaica North-South Highway, have delivered tangible results.
China is now Latin America's second-largest trading partner and the top trading partner for Brazil, Chile, and Peru, reflecting their deepening economic ties.
Xi deepens China-Latin America ties through visits
