The mystery of the Chinese pyramids

The virtually unknown Chinese pyramids are historic monuments that now struggle against the ravages of time and the elements. The elaborate walls of one grand structure were accidentally discovered by U.S. pilot James Gaussman towards the end of the Second World War.  His engine failed when returning from a mission to aid the Chinese army en route to his base in Assam, India. Flying over Xi'an at a low altitude, Gaussman was astonished at the site of an enormous pyramid in the distance. The pilot did not waste this precious opportunity, and flew over, taking the photographs that would later accompany a report presented to U.S governmental authorities. In 1947, another U.S. pilot, keen to the legend of Gaussman's mysterious 'Great White' Chinese pyramid, flew close enough to the structure to catch a glimpse for himself. He estimated the ancient wonder to stand nearly 1500 ft high in comparison to Egypt's great pyramid of Giza which stands a mere 480 ft. from base to vertex. Yet this miraculous pyramid remained a closely guarded secret, kept hidden from the prying eyes of international investigation by Chinese authorities. In spite of such restrictions, German investigator Hartwig Hausdorf attempted to film and photograph the massive ancient structure. While Hausdorf managed to avoid the Chinese military that carefully patrolled the airspace above the Xi'an desert, he was never able to find the grand pyramid Gaussman photographed. Still, Hausdorf's 1994 book, The White Pyramid, detailing his findings of the other structures found in the area, and ushered in a great interest for these ancient treasures.

Uncovering the secret: In 2000, China recognized that there were some 400 pyramids in the Shanxi region, to the north of Xi'an. Smaller than the legendary 'Great White' pyramid, these ancient remains have been classified by some as burial mounds.  While some of these structures do in fact serve as tombs, others suggest the earliest Chinese pyramids served a more mysterious purpose.