The huge bronze heavenly tree is a representation of the ancient Shu civilization, which dates back at least 4,800 years in southwest China's Sichuan province. It can also be regarded as a masterpiece of bronze casting technology.

　　The debris of eight bronze heavenly trees was unearthed in a sacrificial pit at the Sanxingdui archaeological site in 1986. One of them, which is 396 centimeters high, has been repaired and is on display at the new Sanxingdui Museum in Sichuan. This tree was named as the No.1 Heavenly Tree, making it the largest single bronze artifact discovered in the world. Due to the missing top part，experts estimate that the total height would be around 5 meters.

　　The No.1 Heavenly Tree is composed of a base and a main trunk. The base looks like three mountains connected together, decorated with sun and cloud patterns. The main trunk has three layers, with three branches extending from each layer. Each branch bends into a bow shape in a different direction.

　　There are small circles and flower buds with hollow patterns on the tree's branches, with one bird sitting on each flower bud, totaling nine birds. In addition, the tree is full of fruits, and a dragon descends from the side of the main trunk, appearing to prepare for flight.

　　Regarding the specific connotation of the No.1 Heavenly Tree, the jury is still out in academic circles about its real meaning. However, there is consensus to define the tree as a heavenly tree, which is imagined as a ladder for the ancient Shu people to communicate with gods and traverse heaven and earth. Some people believe that the modeling and connotation of this bronze tree should be related to the divine tree recorded in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, a Chinese compilation of mythic geography and beasts.