Buried treasure

The State Administration of Cultural Heritage's (SACH) reiteration on Wednesday that royal mausoleums should not be excavated without its approval reflects the dilemma between the protection of cultural heritage in tombs and some local governments' eagerness to use such excavations to stimulate their economies.

On the same day, authorities in Henan province announced that the central television station would broadcast live the excavation of Cao Cao's tomb. Of course, this excavation has SACH's approval. Cao Cao (155-220) was the founder of the Wei kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period (220-280).

A debate has been going on for some years now on whether the mausoleum of the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) should be excavated.