Archaeology in China - The Story of Stolen Treasures from the Underground Palace of the Qing Eastern Tombs

Author: Yue Nan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-12-01
Features: On July 1928, a shocking case occurred in Zunhua, Hebei. The former sacred and inviolable Qing Imperial Tombs—Qing Dongling—were suddenly subjected to massive destruction. The masters of Dongling had once enjoyed immense glory in their lifetimes, yet centuries later, they could not find peace. General Sun Dianying of the Twelfth Army of the National Revolutionary Army, under the guise of suppressing bandits and conducting military exercises, armed with weapons, entered Qing Dongling. Over the course of seven days and nights, they used explosives to blast open the underground palaces of the tombs of Emperor Qianlong and Empress Dowager Cixi, desecrated the coffins, threw out the remains, and looted the priceless treasures, creating a monumental case in the history of world civilization. This book meticulously portrays a real historical scene that had been sealed away for half a century, vividly recreating the tragic spectacle of the last imperial dynasty under the setting sun.