(CN) Dogs bark against tomb robbers in Shaanxi

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Dogs bark against tomb robbers in Shaanxi

2006-10-25

 

XI'AN, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Five trained dogs have been introduced in a cultural

relic protection drive in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province to fight against

rampant tomb robberies.

 

The five Germany-originated huntaway will watch over Wulingyuan, a historical

site in Xianyang City, where tombs of five emperors and many aristocrats of the

Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD) are located.

 

The tombs are strong lures to robbers due to their large number and high value

of historical relics buried in the tombs, according to local officials engaged

in cultural relic protection.

 

The dogs will help officers observe situation around the tombs at night, bark to

make alert in case of any abnormal happenings and catch suspects when they

attempted to carry out robberies, the officials said.

 

From July, the dogs began to receive special training to get acquainted with

surroundings of the tombs and learn robber-control orders produced by cultural

protection officers.

 

Now, the major " work " of the dogs is to smell out suspects hidden in crop fields

during night while receiving further training in daytime.

 

The city is planning to introduce more watchdogs in the next two years for

better protection in local museums and tomb sites.

 

Built more than 2,350 years ago, Xianyang, 20 kilometers northwest of Shaanxi's

capital city Xi'an, was the capital of the Qin Dynasty (221 B.C.- 207 B.C.), the

first feudal dynasty in Chinese history.

 

Xi'an, with a history of more than 3,100 years, was the capital of 13 feudal

dynasties, including those in the period of great prosperity such as the Han

Dynasty (206 B.C.-220 A.D.) and the Tang Dynasty (6l8 A.D.- 907 A. D.).

 

The Chinese government has put into great investment and efforts in protection

of cultural and historic projects in the two cities as the world-renowned

terracotta warriors and horses in Xi'an and more than 200 tombs from the Han and

Tang dynasties in Xianyang.

 

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-10/25/content_5249356.htm