Excavations in Henan Province have revealed the foundations of a massive Royal Banquet Hall dating to the Spring and Autumn Period (770–476 BCE). The structure, which spans over 1,200 square meters, was built on a raised earth platform and featured heavy timber pillars. Within the central hall, archaeologists found a set of nine ceremonial bronze tripods (Ding), which in ancient Chinese culture symbolized the supreme power of the ruler and the legitimacy of the state.
The site also yielded a diverse array of ritual music instruments, including sets of bronze bells and stone chimes, many of which were still arranged in their original performance positions. According to researchers from the Institute of Archaeology at the CASS, the banquet hall was likely used for high-level diplomatic meetings between warring feudal lords. The presence of these ritual artifacts suggests that even during times of political fragmentation, the strict codes of Zhou dynasty etiquette were meticulously observed by the elite.