When it comes to Jinzhou City in Liaoning Province, people immediately associate it with its reputation as the city of barbecue and gastronomy. It is also a place rich in unearthed cultural relics. Jinzhou Museum, located in the downtown area, houses more than 16,000 pieces (sets) of cultural relics in 17 major categories, including porcelain, jade ware, stoneware, bronze ware and other cultural relics, fully reflecting its long history and rich culture. Among them, bronze ware, including One-piece Bronze Dragger-axe with Linked-bead Patterns and Bronze Food Vessel Double-bells, are both unique items, classified as national treasures.

Luke, a Fiji student from Jinzhou Medical University, is a true “foodie”. He is a hardcore lover of Jinzhou’s Barbecue and often relishes the opportunity for the mouthwatering flavor with his classmates at the local street-side barbecue restaurants after class. Besides food, Luke also has an interest in plates for food and is always curious about what utensils the ancient Chinese used to serve food and make food. On the third stop of Treasure Hunt Across Liaoning, we follow Luke into the Jinzhou Museum to explore artifacts related to food utensils.

As Luke stepped into the exhibition hall of the Jinzhou Museum, his attention was immediately drawn to a uniquely shaped bronze artifact. This cultural relic with exquisite Taotie (ancient Chinese mythological creature) pattern from the Shang Dynasty is the only Bronze Food Vessel with Double Bells and Animal Mask ever unearthed in China. Luke read carefully the introductory text, and looked closely at this unique bronze food vessel. The upper part of the bronze food vessel is a groove-shaped rectangular tray. The plank-shaped feet of it are carved with the exquisite Taotie pattern complemented by the pattern of clouds and lighting. The tray is supported by the front and rear feet, and at each end hangs a bronze bell, of which one bell is plain and the other bell is decorated with the single-layer pattern, showcasing exquisite handicraft and meticulous artistry. This is the food vessel in ancient China, known as the Zu to serve food. Reminiscing about the past, we can imagine that during an ancient sacrificial ceremony, a gentle breeze caressed a pair of bells resonated with a clear and delightful melody, like beautiful background music, which evokes humanity’s endless reverie and bears the longing and yearning for all things beautiful.

In the display cabinet for bronze vessels, Luke also discovered a strangely shaped ancient Chinese steamer with three legs – Bronze Yan (steamer). While taking pictures with his phone, Luke studied its structure and function with great interest. The Bronze Yan is composed of upper and lower parts. The upper part is called Zeng used to hold the food to be steamed, which is actually the prototype of the modern steamer. The bottom is called Bi, which has holes for ventilation and is what we call a steamer basket today. The lower part is Li, which has three legs and is used to boil water. In short, it is to use fire to boil the water in the tripod, and the water vapor will rise to steam the food in the Zeng. The three-legged design not only adds to its visual appeal but also effectively increases the heating surface, expediting the conduction process. “I feel like I can almost smell the fragrance of rice wafting from the depths of history over 2,000 years ago. The wisdom of the ancient Chinese is truly remarkable, and their exquisite life surpasses our imagination.” Luke couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.

In the Jinzhou Museum, Luke immersed himself in the profound meaning of the ancient Chinese proverb “the people regard food as their heaven”, and experienced the extraordinary wisdom of the ancient Chinese laboring people. Each artifact vividly presents scenes of vibrant daily life, carrying the aspirations and pursuit of the Chinese nation for abundant food and a better life.