Bronze Art of Shang and Zhou Dynasties
In ancient times another name for China was “Nine Provinces,” which referred to the provinces of Yu, Ji, Yan, Qing, Xu, Yang, Jing, Yong, and Liang. These nine provinces represented the entire realm of China. It was said that Yu, ruler of the ancient Xia dynasty (ca. 2100–ca. 1600 BCE), had cast nineding-tripods (one for each province) as a symbol of state power.