Yesterday, local Chinese villagers found treasures including ceramic relics and bronze coins from the bottom of Weihe River, part of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, in Anyang City, central China's Henan Province.
At 1,996 kilometers long and 33 to 55 meters wide, the river has been in use as a navigation channel for more than 1,800 years and is one of the best-preserved parts of the Grand Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The section had recently been drained for cleaning, it is 8 kilometers long and 108 to 180 feet wide.
After news spread that relics had been dug out from the area, local villagers flocked to the site to try their luck at getting their own valuable treasure.
According to Chinese media, residents have discovered gold ingots, ancient bronze coins and ceramic relics.
Looting especially on ancient tombs is a frequent occurrence in China.
Increasing numbers of people have flocked to the site to try their luck.
