Hanging coffins remained unaffected by earthquakes to southwest China’s Sichuan Province, local media reported Monday.

(Photo: Chengdu Economic Daily)

All hanging coffins stayed still on the cliffs in Luobiao Town, Gongxian County, Sichuan Province, reported Red Star News, citing local government.

The 6.0-magnitude earthquake that hit Sichuan on June 17 was the strongest earthquake that the hanging coffins have experienced in recent decades, said a staff for coffins protection.

The coffins made by the Bo people, an ancient ethic group in China living astride the borders of today’s Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, were hung usually between 20 meters to 60 meters above the ground, with the highest ones reaching over 100 meters, the report said.

A preservation area for the hanging coffins covers four kilometers with over 300 coffins, the report said.

Hanging coffins are an ancient funeral custom of some minority groups and are said to be able to prevent bodies from being taken by beasts and also bless the soul eternally, Xinhua reported. 

(Compiled by Zhan Huilan)