Illegal mining threatens China Qing dynasty tombs

BEIJING, June 5 (Reuters) Imperial Qing dynasty tombs near Beijing which date back more than 300 years are under threat from illegal mining, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Eastern Tombs form the largest preserved imperial mausoleum complex in China, housing the remains of 161 members of the Qing Dynasty royal family, including emperors, empresses and imperial concubines.

They were listed as a World Cultural Heritage site in 2000.

But the tombs are located at the foot of a mountain in Hebei province, about 125 km east of Beijing, in an area rich in iron ore.

''Illegal mining started two years ago with mining reaching a depth of 50 to 80 metres,'' Xinhua quoted a villager as saying.

''The night reverberates with the sound of explosions from within the mines and the iron ore is shipped out during the daytime. The windows of the nearby houses have been damaged by the violent explosions.'' The daily output of iron ore, used to make steel, was 700 tonnes, a miner was quoted as saying.

He added that the price of the local iron ore was 220 yuan () per tonne, and the net profit gained by each mine can reach 150,000 to 200,000 yuan per day.

''Most of the Eastern Tombs are wooden buildings, which are a fire hazard. Some masonry tombs, facilities and artworks are exposed to the elements, so they are easily worn away. The mining aggravates the damage to the Eastern Tombs,'' an unnamed source from the tombs was quoted as saying.

China's cultural heritage protection law says no explosions, mining or drilling are allowed near protected areas.

Hebei, which produces a fifth of China's steel, was ordered last year by China's top planning body to shut down many of its small steel mills which were causing pollution and affecting water supplies.

A village elder said that the illegal mine owners in the Eastern Tombs area had a wide network of connections.

''Illegal mining stopped during an investigation and resumed after the inspection had been completed,'' he was quoted as saying.

REUTERS DS PM1135