In July 1928, Sun Dianying, commander of the National Revolutionary Army’s 12th Army, secretly excavated the tombs of Empress Dowager Cixi and the Qianlong Emperor in the Eastern Qing Tombs under the pretext of holding military exercises. Every treasure and all the gold and silver ritual vessels in Cixi’s sleeping chamber were swept away. The priceless paintings, ancient calligraphy, and rare antiques collected by the Qianlong Emperor, one of the greatest antiquities enthusiasts and collectors in Chinese history, were also looted in their entirety. Countless treasures from the Qing imperial tombs ended up in the hands of high-ranking officials and desperate criminals, giving rise to one strange tale after another.
