Imperial-Era Tombs Discovered on Site of New Beijing Mega-Airport

Workers building Beijing’s mega-airport of the future have stumbled over a bit of the city’s past.

Over 200 tombs from the Qing era (1644-1912) have been excavated in the maintenance and repair facilities for the new Beijing Daxing Airport currently under construction to the south of the capital.

Tombs and coffins, including double and multiple burials (always good to get that family discount) as well as pottery, bowls, bracelets, and other jewelry were among the items uncovered after officials called in researchers from the Beijing Cultural Relics Bureau.

The density of tombs and the distribution of the burial sites suggest that they may have belonged to a single lineage or family group. 

Beijing Cultural Relics Bureau Spokesperson Yu Ping told reporters that the bureau cooperates with all major construction projects in the city and that sites deemed to have high historical or cultural value will be protected on site.

The unofficially named "Beijing Daxing International Airport," scheduled to open in 2019, is part of a major infrastructure initiative led by General Secretary Xi Jinping. The airport will cost over 80 billion yuan (USD 12.11 billion) to build and will cover a total of 47 square kilometers (18 square miles) in Daxing District about 67km south of the city. It is expected to serve 45 million passengers a year when it opens in 2019 with an eventual capacity of 100 million which would rival the world’s busiest air hubs.

Currently, experts from the Cultural Relics Bureau are reviewing the discovery at the airport. According to Spokesperson Yu, if the tombs are deemed to have significant value, workers will be ordered to avoid destroying the graves and to build around the site. 

Images: Toutiao, Sina News