The Shanpula Ancient Tombs

　　The Shanpula Ancient Tombs are located on a Gobi plateau 14 kilometers southwest of Luopu County in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The tombs date from the Warring States period to the Three Kingdoms period, between 217 BC and 283 BC.

　　The burial site is divided into eastern and western sections, spread across an area of 6 square kilometers — 6 kilometers long from east to west and 1 kilometer wide from north to south. The tomb structures can be categorized into two types: rectangular vertical pit graves and cleaver-shaped shelf tombs. The former were used for single or joint burials, while the latter were for mass burials. A total of 38 tombs and 2 horse pits have been excavated. A wealth of cultural relics has been unearthed, including a large number of daily utensils, as well as exquisite silk fabrics, Han Dynasty bronze mirrors, and woolen textiles adorned with exotic patterns — all serving as typical examples of East-West cultural exchange. (National Cultural Heritage Administration)