A large number of stone carvings, mostly stone coffins, have been excavated recently in dozens of ancient tombs in southern Sichuan Province.

The Bamboo Ocean, running across the counties of Changning and Xingwen in southwest China's Sichuan Province, is one of the country's top 40 scenic spots. The tombs were found in Changning county.

The tombs belong to the Eastern Han Period (25 A.D.- 220 A.D.). From these well-preserved tombs, Chinese archeologists have unearthed many sarcophaguses containing various vivid patterns. The carvings vividly depict the life-like games and activities such as football, Weiqi chess (better known in the West as "go"), horse riding, archery and acrobatics some 2,000 years ago.

These stone carvings are regarded as valuable artifacts in studying the ancient culture and history of the Han dynasty in the southern part of Sichuan. (Xinhua)