Hanging Coffins !

As we journeyed up the Shennong River, points of interest were constantly pointed out on both sides of the limestone cliff face. A "must-see" is some of these ancient hanging coffins that were placed in the rock clefts of these vertical cliffs...usually 70 to 150 metres below the top. It was a big puzzle to those who were studying them. Who were theses people in the coffins? How long ago did they settle here? How did they carry,lift, move a very heavy wooden coffin into such clefts? Many of these coffins have now been forever lost as the water level rose upto 150 metres from the previous bank ...after the construction of the 3 Gorges Dam project.
But I manage to see one such coffin that was retrieved with all the remains inside, intact. That post will follow soon, with pics.

Moving up and along the Shennong River.


Many vertical limestone cliffs and caves can be seen .

The present water mark is now about 150 metres over the old level.

That is a height that will even rise further come 2009!