It’s perhaps not surprising that grave robbing has a long tradition in China – after all, Chinese civilization stretches back several thousand years. But a 21st century twist is turning this age-old crime into an epidemic. Inspired by get-rich-quick yarns and a series of popular novels, young migrant workers and peasants have teamed up in the thousands through internet chat rooms to loot historic tombs in key provinces.
Chinese tomb sculptures
A “Laowai” from ancient times: A closer look at a Han dynasty bearded foreign groom and other funerary sculptures.
A look at Han dynasty funerary statues, in this case a bearded Xianbei – Xiongnu guardian. Known in Chinese as Mingqi, these tomb models were meant for the afterlife.