March 17th, Fujian province Ningde city, local residents while hiking discovered an ancient body wearing dynastic clothing embroidered with what appears to be dragons and called the police.
Investigations revealed that it was related to the grave robbing of a government official who had served the Qing Emperor Guangxu (1882 AD) in his 8th year, and the body had been casually cast aside by the grave robber.
According to reports, this is the highest ranking and most well preserved mummified body of a Qing era government official discovered locally.
March 19th, Fujiang Ningde Xiapu county, the little pavilion of the old tomb that was robbed.
This 1882-built construct is one of 4 “Phoenix” tomb rooms, which presently have all been robbed.
130 years ago, tombs were divided into 4 rooms, a household tomb, where two couples were interred.
In the tomb there are still several coffins. Ningde local residents say the body next to the robbed tomb is male, very clearly wearing many layers of clothing, and with his hair still braided into a queue.
A Mr. Yan said the odor around the mummified body was unbearable, the body having already emitting a foul smell.
he tombstones. According to reports, in the 50s of the previous century, this tomb was already robbed once, but wasn’t as severely damaged as this instance.
The original couplets that surrounded the tomb doorway.
The tablet inscription copied down on paper.
A stone engraving/sculpture on the little pavilion.
The mummy pulled out of the ancient tomb. According to reports, only half of the front of the official robes remain so the decorative design cannot be seen, but on the back of the official robes are 3 dragons embroidered with gold colored thread. On the whole, the clothing is relatively well preserved, with the innermost layer being yellow cotton underwear, the outside navy blue cotton clothes, and the outermost layer being silk official robes.
