????A tomb with a dome built with 8,000 well-preserved porcelain bowls dating back to 120 years has been unearthed on Fenghuang Mountain on the outskirts of Dazhou City, southwest China's Sichuan Province.

????Bowl tombs, the special local burial custom, have never been found in other regions of the province. The custom of using bowls as burial articles began in the later period of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), and lasted until the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and the beginning of the Republic of China (1911-1949).

????The tomb looks marvelous because it had a dome built with 8,000 bowls. The diameter of the bowls is 15 cm and the bottom, 7 cm. The internal and external parts of the bowls have interlocked sprays and flowers and geometrical patterns.

????The occupant of the tomb is believed to be a local wealthy man in the reign of Emperor Guangxu (1875-1908).

????(Xinhua 03/29/2001)