Giant bronze hot pot unveiled in China

TAIYUAN -- A giant bronze hot pot, over two stories high, was unveiled in Datong in North China's Shanxi province on Friday night.

The hot pot, at 5.17 meters high and with a diameter of 3.57 meters, weighs over 1,883 kilograms. Its lid weighs over 350 kilograms and takes eight men to lift.

The pot can hold one tonne of food and serve 800 people at the same time, said Li Anmin, a craftsman who specializes in making Datong bronze ware.

"Datong bronze hot pot was called 'elevated pot' during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It took dozens of workers two months to make it. We needed 250 kilograms of charcoal to heat up the pot," he said.

Eating hot pot during the winter is a local tradition. Datong bronze ware techniques are a national cultural heritage.