Urumqi (CNS) – A set of murals, brocades and inscribed wooden slips from the Tang dynasty have been stolen or damaged in Qira County. The Damagou site of Buddhist cultural relics is in the northwest of China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
Over 3000 pieces of the looted relics have been retrieved, including fragments of murals, ancient coins, terrines and silks, reported Shi Yan, director of the Qira Administration Office of Cultural Relics, on 15 November.
A dozen ancient Buddhist temples have been preserved in good condition in the county, which was the first stop on the route used to spread Ancient Indian Buddhism throughout China and to Asia's Far East countries such as Japan and North Korea.
Grave robbers flooded into Qira County after information about the archaeological site was released in 2010, said Shi.
Local police said that many grave robbers know where to sell the looted relics, and they ascertain the exact location of the treasures from local residents.
