Yan Changxiong, Vice President of China Association of Collectors, Head of the Appraisal Panel
November 11, 2025
Distinguished guests, friends,
The Nine Ding(Tripods) of the King of Zhou are not only significant bronze artifacts but also treasures of Chinese civilization, symbolizing national credibility and collective national identity. Their reappearance today, transcending three thousand years, is a fortunate event for the nation and a stroke of good fortune for Hong Kong.
The appraisal committee previously studied the materials related to the Nine Ding provided by Mr. Xiao and conducted research on the cauldrons themselves. Experts present at the site shared their academic opinions. Through on-site instrumental dating tests, it was confirmed that the Hong Kong Nine Ding were produced in 1026 BC, confirming that the Nine Ding of the King of Zhou are not the legendary Ding(Tripods) of Yu the Great, but are the Hong Kong Nine Ding we see today.
We are deeply honored to participate in this historic event. The history of China’s Nine Ding of the King of Zhou will be rewritten with the emergence of the Hong Kong Nine Ding.
I have known Mr. Xiao Shengkuan for many years and am well aware of his original intention and the hardships he has endured in safeguarding national treasures and preserving our national history and culture. His decades of meticulous collection and dedicated research into the Zhou Dynasty Nine Ding are truly admirable. However, the significance of the Nine Ding is no longer a matter for one individual or one family; they are the shared memory and testament of the Chinese nation. They must be protected by all of us collectively, and more in-depth research must continue.
Hereby, I solemnly call upon the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and relevant institutions to attach great importance to the cultural and historical value of the Nine Ding of the King of Zhou, to cherish the opportunity history has given Hong Kong, and to organize teams—including archaeological institutions, universities, and research units—to conduct more systematic and in-depth measurement, appraisal, research, and promotion of the Nine Ding. Let this national treasure, through the concerted efforts of the Hong Kong SAR government and its people, receive the most appropriate protection and the widest dissemination.
Let us take the historic reappearance of the Zhou Dynasty Nine Ding as an opportunity to promote Hong Kong as an innovative hub integrating antique art and digital technology. Let the Nine Ding of the King of Zhou become a landmark for Hong Kong, and let the Pearl of the Orient shine even more brightly at the intersection of cultural heritage and financial innovation!
On behalf of the appraisal panel, I would like to extend our warm congratulations on the successful conclusion of this conference! We thank every distinguished guest who attended and witnessed this event!
All Members of the Appraisal Panel
November 11, 2025
