SHIJIAZHUANG - Experts in North China's Hebei province said they had invented a special kind of liquid that can restore heavily-corroded bronzeware dating back over 2,000 years.

The liquid could eliminate bronze rust on bronzeware surfaces and convert it into a firm coating to prevent further corrosion, said researchers with the Hebei Provincial Relics Protection Center.

Traditional rust-removal methods often corrode the bronzeware and change its color. The new liquid, a kind of organic salt, is bronze-friendly.

As most of the bronzeware unearthed are heavily corroded, researchers believe the new invention is significant in the archaeological field to restore the original look of ancient bronzeware.

The center has experimented by using the liquid on scraps of bronzeware such as grain receptacles, hooks, and cooking vessels, which were believed to be from the Warring Sates Period (475-221 B.C.), and the restored effect was satisfactory, they said.

Xinhua