In 1982, in Jiangsu Province, China, farmer Fan Yicai and his two younger brothers accidentally dug up a treasure while clearing a canal next to a field. They found 40 kilograms of gold and strange characters on the gold bars, which looked like artifacts of historical value. After much thought about whether to sell or deliver, the three Fan brothers decided to hand over this gold to the local government.

In fact, this amount of gold is truly a historical treasure. The inscriptions engraved on gold bullion are symbols of the Warring States Period (476-221 BC) of Chinese history. These gold bars are not only extremely shiny and pure, but they also retain their original shape, almost undamaged over the years. The expert’s confirmation of the historical value of gold bullion surprised many people, as few expected it to be from such ancient times.

When the gold was delivered, one of the researchers asked Mr. Fan how they found it and if there was anything containing these gold bars. Mr Fan said the gold was discovered in a copper vase with many patterns and a rusty appearance. Upon hearing this, the researcher quickly asked where Mr. Van Binh was. All the brothers in the Fan family thought that the vase had no value, so they kept it in the kitchen to bake it later to make a lock.

The researcher confirmed that the copper vase containing gold is not just an ordinary commodity and its value may be higher than the amount of gold. Therefore, the research team immediately went to Mr. Fan’s house and carefully studied every pattern on the vase. Some of them could not hide their excitement and excitement when they shouted: “ This is a national treasure!”

This rusty vase is almost certainly a wine container from the Warring States period. A similar vase was previously discovered and is currently on display at the University of Pennsylvania Museum in the United States. The peculiarity of this vase lies not only in its age, but also in its rarity and research importance. Therefore, finding this artifact in China makes archaeologists very happy.

Although the vase is somewhat oxidized, it still maintains its shape completely intact. The height of the vase is 24 cm, and its surface is inlaid with gold and silver, and detailed with drawings of dragons and peach blossoms, interspersed with advanced techniques. The bottom of the vase is engraved with letters relating to an event from the Warring States period, which demonstrates its cultural and artistic value. Then the Fan brothers realized that this vase was the real treasure compared to the gold.

To praise the Fan brothers’ voluntary return of the treasure, they were awarded a large sum of money by the government and praised in the media. If they do not notify the authorities of the discovery, the artifact may be shared and sold by villagers without knowing its true value.

Although the villagers “talked about it” for many years, Fan Wei Tai never regretted presenting these artifacts to the government. He believes that what he does benefits the country and everyone. Currently, the Van Y Tai gold vase and children found are on display at the Nanjing Museum (China).