There must be a big tomb below? Official announcement: A village in Henan Province has excavated a large stone turtle stone monument during road construction | Notification | Qinyang City | Investigation | Discovery | Stele Base | Department | Cultural Relics
Recently, it was rumored online that a village in Jiaozuo, Henan Province had dug up a large stone turtle during road construction, which attracted the attention of netizens.
In response to this, the Cultural Relics Bureau of Qinyang City has issued a notice, the full text of which is as follows:
Qinyang Cultural Relics Bureau
Report on the discovery of a turtle shaped pedestal in Wangqu Township
In response to reports released by online self media on May 30th, such as "A large stone turtle was excavated in a village in Jiaozuo, Henan, and netizens speculate that there is a large tomb...", in order to restore the truth, after investigation and implementation by the cultural relics department, the following is hereby announced:
On May 30, 2023, during the road surface renovation in Xiwangqu Village, Wangqu Township, Qinyang City, a stone turtle was discovered. The construction personnel immediately notified the municipal cultural relics department. After receiving the report, the municipal cultural relics department immediately dispatched personnel to the scene to carry out the work. After investigation, it was confirmed that the discovered stone turtle is a bi xi and belongs to the pedestal of the stone tablet. The turtle legs are 167 centimeters long, 104 centimeters wide, and 60 centimeters high, and belong to stone carving cultural relics. The cultural relics department conducted an on-site investigation of insiders and confirmed that the pedestal of the turtle shaped stone tablet was the foundation of a temple stone tablet in the village. It was buried under the road during road construction in the 1980s, and many people in the village are aware of this situation. During the current road renovation, a monument was discovered here. After consultation with the village committee and cultural relics department, we are preparing to transport the pedestal to the temple and integrate it with the stone tablet to restore the complete image of the stone tablet. The cultural relics department will further conduct investigations and research, and take corresponding measures to ensure the safety of cultural relics.
Please respect the facts of cultural relics, persist in not believing or spreading rumors, and actively support the protection of cultural relics through practical actions.
Qinyang Cultural Relics Bureau
June 2, 2023