????A
tomb with a dome built with 8,000 well-preserved porcelain bowls
dating back to 120 years has been unearthed on Fenghuang Mountain
on the outskirts of Dazhou City, southwest China's Sichuan Province.
????Bowl tombs, the special local burial
custom, have never been found in other regions of the province.
The custom of using bowls as burial articles began in the
later period of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), and lasted until
the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and the beginning
of the Republic of China (1911-1949).
????The tomb looks marvelous because it
had a dome built with 8,000 bowls. The diameter of the bowls
is 15 cm and the bottom, 7 cm. The internal and external parts
of the bowls have interlocked sprays and flowers and geometrical
patterns.
????The occupant of the tomb is believed
to be a local wealthy man in the reign of Emperor Guangxu
(1875-1908).
????(Xinhua 03/29/2001)
