Modern Express, August 23, 2010

Today's Modern Express reports that a tomb in Anyang, Henan Province excavated late last year that was claimed to contain the remains of legendary warrior Cao Cao is fake.

Cao Cao was one of the three warlords competing for control of China after the downfall of the mighty Han empire (BC206 - AD 220 CE). Cao's life was popularized in The Legend of Three Kingdoms, a novelized history which has been revered as one of the four Chinese literature classics.

According to the Modern Express, 23 experts at an academic forum in Suzhou have declared that the tomb is a fake, citing anachronistic styles of engraving Chinese characters as one of the sources of their suspicion. The reports says that Chinese historians are now divided into "pro-Cao" and "anti-Cao" factions.

The article also notes that soon after the announcement, the excavation site was opened to the public, with a ticket price of 60 yuan a person.

The image shows a sculpture of Cao Cao and map of the alleged tomb.

The other large headline (in black) is "Nanjing to restrict mortgages / loans for third properties".

According to the article, three more banks have stopped lending to people buying their third house and four other banks have raised interest payments on third property mortgages to above 50%. The measure are intended to cool off the property market and prevent speculation.

Note: Modern Express is a tabloid newspaper owned by Xinhuanet (which recently received approval to list list on a stock market).