Tucked away beneath layers of earth and secrecy in the Shaanxi Province of central China lie dozens, perhaps hundreds, of massive pyramids that have ignited speculation for over a century. The most well-known among them, often referred to as the “White Pyramid” or the “Great Pyramid of China,” was allegedly sighted by U.S. pilot James Gaussman during World War II and later again by Colonel Maurice Sheahan in 1947. Descriptions from these sightings tell of a monumental white structure, possibly capped in a crystalline or metallic material, estimated to be larger than Egypt’s Great Pyramid of Giza. Despite photographs and eyewitness reports, this particular structure has never been officially verified or acknowledged by Chinese authorities, leading to decades of speculation, suppression, and restricted access to the area.
What is confirmed, however, is the existence of the Maoling Mausoleum; the tomb of Emperor Wu of Han, which resembles a flat-topped pyramid and dates back over 2,000 years. Surrounding this site are dozens of other pyramid-shaped mounds, many believed to be burial sites for emperors and nobles from the Western Han Dynasty and even earlier Xia or Shang dynasties. Archaeologists have determined that many of these structures were aligned with cardinal directions, and some are situated near ancient astronomical observatories, suggesting a possible cosmological purpose. Satellite imagery has revealed a grid-like pattern to the placement of these pyramids, further hinting at deliberate planning with esoteric or energetic intent, similar to the pyramid complexes of Egypt and Mesoamerica.
There are also curious parallels between these Chinese pyramids and those found across the globe, especially in terms of orientation, sacred geometry, and use of materials. Some researchers have drawn connections between ancient pyramid-building civilizations that supposedly had no contact, proposing either a shared lost global culture or influence from a forgotten high civilization predating modern recorded history. Local legends surrounding the pyramids mention “celestial beings” or “sons of the sky” who descended in fiery chariots, imagery strikingly similar to ancient astronaut lore. Chinese texts like the Shan Hai Jing and early dynastic myths reference rulers who ruled from “palaces of heaven,” possibly hinting at advanced knowledge or non-human influence in the distant past.
Legends surrounding the Chinese pyramids are as haunting as they are majestic, echoing from the ancient texts and whispered folklore of dynastic eras long past. The most famous of these is the tale of the First Emperor Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum, an underground palace said to mirror the heavens above, with a domed ceiling inlaid with pearls to represent the stars and a model of the empire below, complete with flowing rivers of liquid mercury to mimic natural waterways. Ancient records from the Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji) by Sima Qian describe a massive subterranean complex filled with booby traps and mechanisms to ward off grave robbers, crafted with such precision that even today, it remains largely unexcavated. Other myths from the region speak of luminous crowns atop the pyramids that "shone like fire" and "communicated with the skies," hinting at lost technologies or celestial alignments. Some believe these were energy centers tied to the movements of the stars, built with guidance from sky-beings or “sons of heaven” who descended in fiery chariots. These stories, filled with alchemy, astrology, and shimmering heavens, imbue the Chinese pyramids with a mystique that blurs the line between myth and lost memory, suggesting that what lies beneath may hold truths far beyond conventional historical timelines.
For decades, the Chinese government restricted access to these pyramid sites, often planting trees atop them to obscure their visibility from aerial and satellite surveillance. Only in recent years have archaeologists begun to excavate select mounds, but still with minimal international exposure. The true nature, age, and scope of the Chinese pyramids remain largely concealed beneath a veil of state control and disinterest, but the structures themselves silently testify to an ancient legacy that rivals, if not predates, other pyramid-building cultures.
As interest in these monuments continues to grow among alternative historians and researchers, the Chinese pyramids may one day offer critical missing links in the puzzle of humanity’s forgotten epochs, perhaps pointing to a time when knowledge of geometry, the stars, and the earth’s energies were universally shared among the builders of pyramids across the ancient world.
sources and further readings
Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji), Sima Qian, circa 94 BCE
The Chinese Roswell, Hartwig Hausdorf, 1998
Mysteries of the Chinese Pyramids, Philip Coppens Archive, 2005
Archaeological survey reports, Xi’an Region, Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology (various, 1990s–2010s)
Ancient Chinese Astronomy, Needham, Joseph, Science and Civilisation in China, Vol. 3, 1959