0207 - Cliff Coffins In Gongxian County, Sichuan Province. More than 160 co...Front

Cliff Coffins In Gongxian County, Sichuan Province. More than 160 coffins of the ancient Bo people have been found rested on cliffs in open air at Matangba in Luobiao Commune, Gongxian County, Sichuan Provnce. These coffins were as old as 400 years. The cliff coffin was a burial custom popular in the national minority areas in Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi and Fujian in ancient times. Gongxian County where the cliff coffins are still to be seen was once the state of Bo as recorded in the book "Records of Gongxian County". The Bo people of that time are thought to be today's Tuliao people or Gelao nationality, judging by the skeletons and burial objects in the coffins. They did not bury their dead underground but placed the coffins on poles fixed on the cliff on one end. If a coffin fell off, it was considered a sign of luck. According to archaeologists, inside the cliff coffins examined in recent years were mostly the remains of tribal chiefs. A possible explanation of this burial custom is that it could protect the dead and let them "continue to exercise" their powers and authority as if they were still alive. The cliff coffins in Gongxian County have aroused wide interest among Chinese and foreign experts and attracted more and more visitors.