Archaeology in China: The Theft of Treasures from the Underground Palace of the Eastern Tombs of the Qing Dynasty

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 immense 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 invaluable and world-class treasures, creating a shocking case in the history of world civilization. This book meticulously depicts a real historical scene that had been sealed away for half a century, vividly recreating the tragic scene of the last imperial dynasty under the setting sun.