China's frenzied real estate development poses a grave threat to a large number of ancient tombs, according to Ni Fangliu, a historian in the field of tombs and grave objects.

"Thanks to China's 5,000-year history and its equally long burial tradition, the land is literally peppered with ancient graves. However, the scale of real-estate development today means that a sizable number of them are on sites earmarked for construction projects," he said.

Recognizing the gravity of the situation, the central government has promulgated laws that require archeological assessment of areas suspected of containing tombs before construction projects can proceed.