Speculations and the Reward
China's vast landscape and abundant resources have led to diverse geographical environments and customs. Burial practices vary significantly, including natural burial, cremation, sky burial, water burial, and, in certain regions, hanging coffins.
Among these practices, hanging coffins in Jiangxi stand out for their unusual nature. Perched precariously on steep cliffs, the mystery surrounding their placement captivated experts. A staggering 400,000 yuan (approximately 1.3 billion dong) reward was offered for anyone who could unravel the enigma.
Hanging Coffins: A Challenge to Explanation
Unlike traditional burials, hanging coffins (xuanzang) involved placing coffins on sheer rock faces. The rugged terrain made access perilous, and the lack of advanced climbing equipment or safety measures at the time compounded the difficulty.
The weight of the coffins, coupled with Jiangxi's treacherous landscape, led many to believe they were somehow manually placed. However, the sheer number of coffins on Longgu Mountain in Jiangxi defied this assumption, necessitating alternative explanations.
A Breakthrough from Unexpected Quarters
From the 1970s, experts and scholars grappled with this puzzle, but solutions remained elusive. The search for answers expanded to the public, but tangible leads proved scarce.
The Farmer's Wisdom
As the mystery lingered, an elderly farmer stepped forward with a solution. A scholar investigating the hanging coffins had visited a village near Longgu Mountain. During a casual conversation, the farmer's words sparked an epiphany.
Generations of villagers had passed down a tale—the coffins were brought to the cliffs by a "celestial vehicle."
Engineering Ingenuity Revealed
Armed with this crucial insight, experts delved deeper into the matter. They theorized that the "celestial vehicle" was likely a massive winch operated with pulleys by ancient engineers. By applying basic principles of wheels and axles, the ancestors had devised an ingenious lifting machine.
Experiments Confirm the Theory
Ecstatic with their findings, the experts put their theory into practice with experiments along the cliff's edge. The onsite tests successfully recreated the hanging coffin burial method, confirming the farmer's story of a "lifting system."
The centuries-old mystery of hanging coffins had finally been solved. The discovery left scholars and onlookers in awe of the cleverness of their predecessors.