China
21:45, 21-Mar-2017
400-year-old mythical treasure found at the bottom of China’s Minjiang River
Updated
11:07, 28-Jun-2018
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A centuries-old treasure trove that sank to the bottom of the Minjiang River has been found in the Pengshan district of Meishan, Sichuan Province. The archeological dig started in early January.
For centuries, legend had it that a fortune in gold and silver sat at the bottom of the Minjiang River. The treasure was said to belong to Zhang Xianzhong, the leader of a peasant uprising during the late Ming Dynasty, some 400 years ago.
But It wasn't just a legend. More than 20,000 items have been unearthed. From the 1950's to the 1990's, silver washed up on the shores of the Minjiang, believed to come from Zhang's boats.
A decade ago, farmers discovered a silver ingot while working on an irrigation project, setting off a massive treasure hunt. In late 2016, an official archeological excavation was launched.There is one month to go until the flood season, and it's hoped more items will be found before the digging ends in April.