Mausoleum of Han Dynasty remains intact despite fire scare

After a netizen posted a video on Tuesday claiming that there was a fire at the mausoleum of Emperor Cheng of the Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 220) in Xianyang, Shaanxi province, a staff worker from the local relics management administration confirmed that the fire did not damage the mausoleum. The video showed flames and thick black smoke rising above the hills.

On Wednesday morning, a staff member from the relics management center said that a villager burned grass on top of the mausoleum while burning garbage. There was wind at the time, so the fire was relatively large, according to ahwang.cn, a media outlet from Anhui province.

"It was an act of arson, and the person responsible has been handed over to the police," the staff member told ahwang.cn. "Since the main cultural relics are underground, the fire did not have a significant impact."

The staff member stated that the mausoleum area has a security system, and they will strengthen monitoring and patrols to prevent fires, according to ahwang.cn.