Then the Ding became the symbol of a country. If a country lost its Ding, it meant the country was ruined or conquered. It is said that the Ding of Xia Dynasty (2100-1600 BC) went to the capital of the Shang Dynasty when Jie, King of the Xia Dynasty, was defeated by Cheng Tang, King of the Shang Dynasty, because Jie was very cruel to its subjects. In the history of ancient China, nine Dings meant the whole of China. So when a vassal asked for nine Dings from the King, it meant that he wanted to take place of the King. However, the nine Dings have been missing since the Zhou Dynasty. No one knows where they are.

During the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC), the Ding became less important. In a word, Ding, the cooking vessel of our ancestors, then the symbol of the noble identity, stood for sovereignty. Nowadays, there are three meanings of the Ding. First, it represents three equally powerful rivals; second, it means “honorable, great or grand;” third, it means “at the present.”

On October 21, 1995, the People’s Republic of China presented a Century Ding to the United Nations as a gift celebrating the 50th birthday of the UN. The Central Government of the PRC gave a Ding of the Peoples’ unity in remembrance of the 50th anniversary of peaceful liberation of Tibet, symbolizing the Peoples’ coalition and the flourishing of Tibet.

China is now molding a Ding in order to celebrate the 2008 Beijing Olympics. On the one hand, it represents China’s current situation. Now is the best time for China’s development, and the Chinese people are optimistic about China’s future. On the other hand, the Ding is a message that Chinese people love peace and hope people around the world can work together to build a harmonious and prosperous world.

By Ruan Defa

Editor:Hu Zhicheng