Home / Arts & Entertainment / News Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read | Comment
China's Top 10 cultural events in 2008
Adjust font size:

9. Big Discovery in Iron Box

An ancient reliquary that has lain under the earth for over 1,000 years was unearthed in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, on August 7. The relic, used as a shrine, was found in an iron box discovered in an underground palace located in the ruins of an ancient temple in the city. It was believed to be one of the over 80,000 pagoda-shaped shrines made during the reign of King Asoka of India (273-236 B.C), in which the sarira of Sakyamuni, or the Buddha, called shelizi in Chinese, were enshrined.

Archaeologists said that it is the largest seven-treasure King Asoka reliquary (made of seven kinds of materials such as gold, silver, colored glaze, agate and amber) found in China to date.

After three months, the 1.1-meter-high pagoda was successfully removed from the iron box on November 22. Currently, the relic is undergoing restoration. On whether or when the pagoda could be opened, archaeologists said it is still uncertain and they would listen to the opinions of the religious circle.

     1   2   3   4   5   6    


Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read
Comment
Pet Name
Anonymous
China Archives
A film likely to have the last laugh
Director Feng Xiaogang's latest comedy If You Are the One is romantic, touching, thought-provoking and above all hilarious.
If You Are the One
More
Related >>
- International Forum on the Daodejing
- Experience China in South Africa
- Zheng He: 600 Years On
- Three Gorges: Journey Through Time
- Famous Bells in China