TAIYUAN, May 3 -- A brick tomb dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) has been discovered in Hexitou Village, north China's Shanxi Province, according to the cultural relics and archaeology research institute of the city of Xinzhou.

The tomb was found during a construction project which was launched in July 2023 in Xinfu District.

The tomb measures 25 meters in length, 6.4 meters in width and is 6.2 meters deep. It consists of a tomb passage, a tomb gate, a paved path, a main chamber, and a rear chamber, and features niches in the north and south walls. The tomb gate is made of stone, while delicate carved patterns were found in the tomb.

There are two coffins in the main chamber.

Porcelain, wooden tables, wooden chairs, candlesticks, lamp stands, incense burners, tin teapots, cups, plates, painted wooden figurines, as well as stationery such as ink-stones, brushes and brush holders were found in the tomb.

"According to the epitaph and the inscription on the land purchase certificate, the owner of the tomb was named Wang Luo. He passed away in 1588 at the age of 55," said Lu Ning, deputy director of the institute.

"The tomb is well-preserved, providing valuable material evidence for the study of burial customs, burial culture and furniture arrangement in the Ming Dynasty," Lu added.