Beijing is in the former State of Yan 燕 of the Western Zhou period, hence sometimes it is also called Yanjing 燕京.
National Treasure 国宝
Bronze Li Food Vessel Inscribed by Bo Ju with Ox-head Ornaments 牛头纹带盖伯矩鬲
Bronzeware | Western Zhou Period (1046 BC-771 BC) | Excavated from Tomb M251, Area II, Liulihe Ruins, Fangshan, Beijing | Capital Museum collection. 铜器｜西周（公元前1046-前771）｜北京房山琉璃河遗址II区M251出土｜首都博物馆藏1
The Bo Ju Li is a treasure of the Capital Museum in Beijing and is recognised as a national rarity in China, one of the 195 National Treasures forbidden to be exhibited outside of China. The significance of such vessels extends beyond function; they were symbols of status and used in important ceremonies for ancestors and gods.
Bo Ju li with Oxhead Ornaments is a 3,000-year-old Western Zhou bronze food vessel, unearthed in 1975 from Tomb 251 at the Liulihe Site in Fangshan District, Beijing. It stands 33.0 cm tall, 22.9 cm in diameter, and weighs 7,500 grams. It represents early Western Zhou bronze craftsmanship at its peak, witnessing Beijing’s 3,000-year urban history and ancient noble ritual culture.
Its design centres on vivid oxhead decorations: the lid knob is formed by two 3D calf heads facing opposite directions; the lid surface has raised oxhead motifs with upward-curving horns; the neck is patterned with six flat-angle thunder patterns; each of the three pouch-shaped feet displays an oxhead (horns protruding above the vessel surface).
The ox’s significance in political and social life during the Shang and Zhou dynasties is visible in bronze vessels, used for royal activities, which have been carved with related motifs or sculpted into the shape of an ox or body parts such as horns.
The li is a type of wide-mouthed, three-legged cooking vessel; the legs of the Bo Ju Li are uniquely shaped like pointed lobes that form an extension of the interior volume.
Made via piece-molding (body cast first, then decorations attached), the details are lifelike. A 15-character inscription appears on both the inner lid and neck wall: it records that Lord Yan granted Bo Ju cowries, so Bo Ju made this vessel to honour his father2.
The Liulihe Ruins is the largest known Western Zhou site on the southern foot of the Yanshan Mountains in Beijing. It is also the Western Zhou vassal state site with the longest excavation time, the largest scale, and the richest content in China to date. It was the capital and original fiefdom of the Yan State in the Western Zhou Dynasty, pushing the history of the founding of Beijing back to more than 3,000 years ago and is known as the “source of Beijing.”3
Bronze Ding Tripod Inscribed by Jin 堇鼎
Bronzeware | Western Zhou Period (1046 BC-771 BC) | Excavated from Tomb M253, Area I, Liulihe Ruins, Fangshan, Beijing | Capital Museum collection. 铜器｜西周（公元前1046-前771）｜北京房山琉璃河遗址I区M253出土｜首都博物馆藏
In the spring of 1973, the joint archaeological team discovered 69 tombs and chariot pits, including a large tomb of the Marquis of Yan, and unearthed precious cultural relics such as the Jin Ding (above) and Bo Ju Li, basically confirming that the Liulihe site was the original fiefdom of the State of Yan.4
The inscription on the inner wall of the ding states that, “Jin was ordered by the Marquis of Yan to go to Zongzhou (the capital of the Zhou Dynasty) to offer tribute to Taibao (King Zhao Gong). Taibao rewarded Yu with money, and Yu used the reward money to cast this tripod.” Together with the inscription in Bo Ju Li, they proved the existence of Yan, and that it was a direct fiefdom of Western Zhou according to the written history.5
About Chinese National Treasure Series
中華國寶系列 Chinese National Treasure series feature specific artefacts and relics from museums all around the world that are historically significant to be considered a National Treasure. The series covers the 5,000 years of Chinese civilisation from Neolithic periods before the Xia dynasty (c. 2070-1600 BC) to modern day.
Footnotes :
- 伯矩鬲平盖，盖项中央置一盖钮，由两个相背的立体小牛首组成，盖面饰以浮雕牛角兽面纹，角端翘起。颈部饰六条短扉楼，扉棱间饰以夔纹，袋足均饰以牛角兽面纹，牛角角端翘起，高于器表。盖内及颈部内壁铸有相同的铭文“才戊辰，匽侯赐伯矩贝，用作父戊蹲彝”，盖内4行15个字，颈内壁5行15字。Museum information card, accessed 20 Dec 2025 ↩︎
- 在戊辰，匽侯易（赐）伯矩贝，用乍（作）父戊■彝。 ↩︎
- This Site Pushes The History Of Beijing’s Founding Back To More Than 3,000 Years Ago. Let’s Take A Look At The Bronze Artifacts Unearthed Here, 08/31/2025. https://www.souquee.com/news/68b3cb4a73a3a504f069f680, accessed 20 Dec 2025 ↩︎
- 李静, 北京城郊，一处传奇遗址现身, 2025-7-21 20:09, 中国新闻周刊.
周武王灭商，建立周朝政权，史称西周。为巩固统治，周武王大封功臣与宗室，召公奭作为周初四圣之一，受封北燕，为西周巩固北方疆土，抵御戎狄。燕国是周王室的“北方屏障”，也正是燕国的分封使今天的首都北京拥有了西周记忆，这是它在历史中首次被纳入中原文明的治理体系，开始了城市化、华夏化的进程。
燕国，作为中国古代历史上一个颇具传奇色彩的诸侯国，从西周初年立国，到战国末期被秦国吞并，在长达八百余年的历史中，经历了漫长的蛰伏、短暂的辉煌，最终又走向了灭亡。与齐楚秦赵等大国相比，燕国位于中原文明的边缘，历史记载较少，许多细节湮没在历史尘埃里。直到20世纪40年代，北京西南40余公里处的房山琉璃河镇准备建水泥厂，中国银行职员同时也是考古爱好者的吴良才，发现此处遍地陶片，琉璃河遗址被发现，昔日的燕国浮出历史。http://cn.obj.cc/article-21481-1.html, accessed 20 Dec 2025 ↩︎ - 李静, 北京城郊，一处传奇遗址现身, 2025-7-21 20:09, 中国新闻周刊.
折沿方唇，口微敛，堇鼎造型大气雄厚，更重要的是，鼎内还铸有清晰的4行26字铭文，经考证，这段铭文讲述了一个完整的故事：“堇”奉燕侯之命，到宗周（周朝首都）向太保（召公）奉献食物，太保赏钱给堇，堇用赏的钱铸造了这尊鼎。
堇鼎的铭文，不仅证明了这里就是三千多年前的燕国都城，还佐证了《史记索隐》中的记载：“以元子就封，而次子留周室，代为召公”——召公奭虽然受封于燕，但本人留在都城继续辅佐周王，派遣长子前往燕国。
在堇鼎出土之前，251号墓出土的伯矩鬲盖内及口沿内壁也铸有铭文，大意是：“伯矩”受到燕侯赏赐，心里颇荣耀，于是铸此鬲。堇鼎和伯矩鬲都成为北京城历史之源的见证，而且对于西周礼制、饮食、书法等都极具研究价值，如今它们都成为首博的镇馆之宝。 ↩︎
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