Qing urns found at site of Keelung's falling boulder

[KingsOfTheDay]

Qing urns found at site of Keelung's falling boulder
Staff Reporter 2013-09-04 12:49

Officials fear the boulder is in danger of sliding off the hill, like its former neighbor. (File photo/Tseng Bai-tsun)

Two funerary urns believed to date back to the Qing Dynasty have been discovered on a hilltop in Keelung, northern Taiwan, by officials and geologists sizing up what to do with an unstable 2,000-tonne rock they believe could fall at any time, our sister paper China Times reported on Wednesday.

The news comes a few days after a video went viral on the internet of a huge boulder dislodged by the effects of heavy rain from the top of a hill overlooking the city's Badouzih Harbor crashing down on the road below on Saturday, almost crushing a passing car. The terrifying footage was captured by the dashboard cam of the car behind and has been featured on news outlets around the world.

Investigating the site of the incident the following day, officials and geologists identified another, bigger boulder adjacent to the spot from which the first boulder fell. They believe this rock is likewise liable to roll down the mountain at the slightest provocation and have begun discussing potential ways to remove it, which is estimated to be a 12-day job.

On Sept. 2, Keelung government officials discovered a large cave behind the remaining rock, where they also found two old funerary urns but which did not contain any ashes.

The officials said that from the appearance of the urns, they are likely to date back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911; Taiwan was annexed by the Qing in 1683). They said however that they would take care of the rock first to ensure public safety; closer examination of the archeological find can wait for the moment.