The big iron bell from the Dagukou Fort in Tianjin

Having remained out of its hometown for 105 years, the big iron bell was returned to Beijing on July 17, 2005. The bell, built in 1884 and originally placed at the Dagukou Fort in Tianjin, was plundered by the eight-power invasion allies forces, which were aggressive troops sent by Britain, the United States, Germany, France, tsarist Russia, Japan, Italy and Austria in 1900. The eight-power allies captured the Dagukou Fort in June 1900, and the Britain navy took the bell, brought it to Britain, and installed it at a park of the southern port city of Plymouth. Under joint efforts by people from both China and the UK and approved by the Plymouth Parliament, the bell was finally returned to its homeland.