Inside the tomb of the emperor

When historians and archaeologists decided to excavate a Ming Dynasty imperial tomb, little did they know of the complex task that lay before them

Sixty-one years have passed, but Sun Xianbao well remembers exactly what he saw after squeezing himself through the narrow opening between two giant stone panels, panels that form the gate to the burial chamber of Emperor Wanli (1563-1620).

"On the ground were rotted wooden boards and some whitish circles," the 80-year-old says.