Nexus - 0228 - New Times Magazine-pages

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at the new Xian airport and, driving to the city and their hotel, saw open a few doors inside the Chinese Ministry of Tourism. In fact, one pyramid which stood along the road. It had been discovered a in March 1994 I was able to visit some former ‘no go' areas in the ew years earlier, when Xian's airport was relocated and a road to arg: ass 1 passed around some copies of my German the city was engineered. ook, Die Weisse Pyramide (The White Pyramid), to the right This pyramid would not even be people. I talked.to archaeologists who the icing on the cake for Hausdorf | at first denied any pyramids existed, wo agp sbot Cos | This pyramid would not even be ffl canted ho dex had climbed one pyramid and was the icing on the cake for Haitsdorf ple gave me further permission to able to count 20 more pyramids, all 63 | eae | enter other 'no go' zones when I lying in the immediate vicinity. Yet, who was passionate about China's § revimed in October 1994. I never in March 1994 he had climbed that ancient history. same pyramid and had seen only | j 4100) ; i some of those pyramids. "It's amaz- In October 1994 he had climbed ing how the weather in March didn't one pyramid and was able to allow me to see those pyramids. In October it was perfectly clear count 20 more pyramids, all lying weather, and more revealed them- in the immediate vicinity. selves.” Haozhang (a prominent member of Hausdorf is not really flabbergast- Beijing's academic circle), his assis- ed no one knew about the existence of tant, Xie Duan Yu, and three col- such pyramids: "China has still a lot of mysteries—even the local _ leagues, At first they denied the pyramids’ existence. But when population quite often isn't aware of them. It's a small miracle | Hausdorf showed them three photos of three different pyramids, received the go-ahead to enter some 'no go’ areas. I was, in fact, _ they caved in. Hausdorf described his encounter: "It was as if I the only one who was granted such favours. I assume there are had entered a hive. The photographs I took in both March and two reasons for this. I regularly visit China with a group of October 1994 are the proof that squetched five decades of rumour. tourists. In 1993, 1 became acquainted with Chen Jianli, an avid Most scientists denied the existence of pyramids in China. If any researcher of his country's past. He assured me he would try and _ scientist still clings to that, show him my photographs." expected any of this would happen to me. But it seems it had to happen eventually. Following decades of rumour, someone had to clear the pic- ture." To detail his problems, in March 1994 Hausdorf met Professor Feng NEXUS ¢ 35 OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 1995