A Japanese artillery shell believed to be from World War II was recently discovered in Sunwu County, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, local authorities said on Thursday.

The shell, measuring approximately 40 centimeters in length and 15 centimeters in diameter, was found near a key cultural heritage site that once served as the underground hideout of Japanese troops in Sunwu County of the city of Heihe.

The local cultural heritage department and police jointly moved the shell to a safe place. Further analysis of the shell will be conducted to potentially uncover valuable information about Japanese military deployment during the invasion.

The discovery of this artillery shell provides new physical evidence for studying the history of the invasion of China by Japanese troops, and helps to further restore details of Japanese military activities and aggression in Sunwu.