A grand set of bells chimed gaily throughout the Working People's Palace as President Jiang Zemin came to pay a millennial tribute to the nation's newest and biggest set of bells on the morning of January 1.

Jiang, also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, was accompanied by Li Lanqing, member of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau's Standing Committee, and other high-ranking officials.

President Jiang was treated to several classical pieces of western and traditional Chinese music played by the Chinese Bells of Harmony which number 108 pieces.

The Harmony Bells, modeled after the 2,400-year-old Zenghouyi Bells which were unearthed in 1978 in central China's Hubei Province, are finely crafted with features demonstrating modern technology.

So far the nation's largest set, the Harmony Bells are also the highest quality in terms of design, craftsmanship, musical range, metallurgy and casting.

The set of 108 bells is arranged in three tiers. The 34 "Nui bells" on the top tier represent the nation's 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, as well as Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao.

The middle tier of 56 "Yong bells" stand for China's 56 nationalities. The bottom row contains 16 "Bo bells", each reflecting a certain period in the history of the Chinese nation.

On the biggest, gilded bell on the bottom row are carved Chinese characters inscribed by President Jiang, which read "May the Chinese Bells of Harmony Be Preserved for Thousands of Years."