Eight imperial coffins of Qing Dynasty (1636-1912) will be moved from Eastern Qing Tombs to prevent them from decay, said archeologists in Hebei province.
Eastern Qing Tombs or Qingdongling are among the finest and largest tomb complexes in China. Situated to the west of Malanyu Village in Zunhua County, Hebei Province, the entire complex covers an area of 2,500 square kilometers
All of the coffins, including Emperor Qianlong’s and Empress Dowager Cixi’s, have since been decaying in the tombs, dubbed as the "underground palace", where the environment was humid.
Coffin rescue and restoration work approved by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage and will use traditional carpentry and painting, Wang Zhaohua, Head of Cultural Relics Management Office of Eastern Qing Tombs, said.
The Eastern Qing Tombs consist of 15 mausoleums and 586 individual buildings housing 161 Qing Dynasty imperial family members.