The casting of the "China Centenary Bell", the largest copper bell in China, was completed on December 17 at a workshop at the Capital Iron and Steel Plant in Beijing.

The bells weighs 50 tons and is 6.8 meters high. Casting of the bell started Wednesday night.

The bell will be used to usher in the new century and will be simultaneously struck 21 times with four other bells located in Shannxi, Henan, Shandong and Jiangsu provinces when the new millennium arrives. On December 21, the bell will be transported to a square nearby the China Centenary Temple.

The bell is inscribed with major historical events in China over the past century and the Chinese national anthem.