Four people have been given harsh sentences, including two suspended death sentences, for stealing ancient tombs containing precious cultural relics in Shaanxi Province.

Xi'an Intermediate People's Court on Monday gave suspended death sentences to Qiu Zhaojun and Lu Fuping, and 15 years' imprisonment to Xiong Yifang and Ding Xinxian.

"The punishment shows our authorities' determination to fight against this crime," said Zhang Zaimin, an expert with Shaanxi Cultural Relics Protection Centre.

The four, from Shaanxi, Jiangsu and Henan provinces, illegally dug at an ancient tomb from the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) in Lantian County, Xi'an, in January.

They stole a total 119 items, according to the court.

Qiu and Lu's personal property was confiscated as part of the sentence. This included cars and houses. The other two were also fined 200,000 yuan (US$25,000) and 100,000 yuan (US$12,500) respectively, according to the court.

Shaanxi, the site of China's capital for 13 dynasties over a period of more than 1,000 years, has a large number of royal mausoleums and tombs.

These contain thousands of valuable relics, said Chen Xianqi, an official with the Shaanxi Provincial Administration of Cultural Heritage.

"For years, these tombs have attracted criminals from both home and abroad," Chen said.

In 2003, Shaanxi issued a number of stiff laws and regulations to protect cultural relics and the tombs, said Zhao Rong, director of Shaanxi Provincial Administration of Cultural Heritage.

(China Daily August 30, 2006)