The 2,000-year-old Mawangdui tombs in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, have become infested with termites.

The tombs, dating to the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24), were excavated in 1972. More than 3,000 burial objects such as silk writings, bamboo slips, lacquer ware, pottery, Chinese herbal medicine, as well as a well-preserved woman's corpse were found.

Many trees on the hills above the relics site have been destroyed by termites, and white ants have also been found on the trees at the foot of the hills.

A local resident said termites first appeared in the region about 20 years ago and have been growing fast in recent years. Insecticide has been used on a small scale, but the ants have not yet been eliminated.

An official from the Hunan Cultural Heritage Bureau said the ancient tombs are located in humid forests on hills, which is a favorable environment for termites.

But with strengthened control measures, the tombs are not in danger at present, said the official.

Experts from the Changsha Termite Prevention and Control Center and the Hunan Provincial Cultural Heritage Bureau have raced to the site to investigate the situation.

(China Daily August 24, 2005)