Ding was a vessel to cook food and was also used as an important ritual object in ancient times. Legend has it that Emperor Yu of the Xia Dynasty had nine dings cast, symbolizing the nine regions in the country. Ding was regarded as embodying the legitimacy and authority of the throne during the three dynasties of Xia, Shang, and Zhou. Ding was mostly cast in bronze, usually with two ears and three or four legs. The three legs stood for the “three chief ministers” (the three most powerful official positions in ancient times in charge of national civil administration, the judiciary, and military affairs). The four legs stood for the four advisors to the emperor. After the Qin Dynasty, ding gradually lost its function as a symbol of royal authority, but the word ding was still used to refer to the royal throne, the monarchy, or state power. It was also given the meaning of “glory,” “grandeur,” and “dignity.”