Developing a little later than Jiaguwen (script on tortoise shells and animal bones) were the Jinwen (Bronze Inscriptions or inscriptions on bronze objects). These were characters inscribed on bronzeware during the late Shang and early Zhou (1100-771BC) dynasties, which are known as the Bronze Age. Jinwen is also known as Zhongdingwen, a name the Zhong (bell) from the Ding (tripod), a typical ceremonial instrument, and the Zhong (bell), which symbolizes musical instruments. The name Zhongding is synonymous with bronzeware.

The Jinwen on bronzeware recorded important events and activities and reflect the social life of the time. The calligraphic style of Jinwen is delicate, simple and dignified. Compared with Jiaguwen, it has more variation and is richer in content. Jinwen characters were first discovered in the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD) when a Ding was discovered in Fenyang, Shanxi Province, and sent to the imperial palace. Other bronze objects inscribed with Jinwen were unearthed later. Song Dynasty (960-1279) intellectuals Ouyang Xiu and Zhao Mingcheng were good at writing and researching Jinwen.

The Jinwen on the Duke Mao Ding, made during the Zhou Dynasty, is the most representative of the calligraphy of the period. The inscription of some 497 characters in 32 lines recorded the political situation of the time, and how Duke Mao had offered his loyal services to the Emperor and helped him overcome difficulties. It has the longest inscriptions among the bronzeware attributed to that era; the structure of the characters is neat and the strokes are thin and long. The inscriptions on the Dayu Ding and Sanpan Ding are also good examples of Jinwen.

Jinwen is the main material for research into characters in the Western Zhou Dynasty, the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476) and the Warring States Period (475-221), and the most precious material for research into the pre-Qin history.