A inestimable tomb of the Warring States Period (475 - 221 BC) was found in Gansu, along with a complete horse wagon, both of which will provide information for the research of wagon-making in that period.
Ironically, this great discovery was guided by tomb robbers, a plague on China's historical relics.
A probe in the 1980s confirmed at least 400,000 immobile cultural heritages in China (such as ancient tombs, ruins, etc). Today, at least 30% of them have been ruined by human activities, such as tomb robbery.
In Lixian County of Gansu Province alone, at least 150 bronze gui (a round-mouthed food vessel with two or four loop handles) have been stolen and sold on the international black market.
(Chinanews.cn November 30, 2006)
