Google Sightseeing takes you on tour of the world as seen from satellite, using the free Google Earth program, or Google Maps in your web browser. Each weekday your guides James and Alex present new weird and wonderful sights as suggested by readers.

The editors: James & Alex

The Great White Pyramid of China

Monday, 20th August 2007 by Alex

Legend tells us that near the city of Xi’an, China, there lies a gigantic white pyramid - far larger than any Egyptian pyramid - that has remained undiscovered for millennia. The story goes that this pyramid is encased in “pure shimmering stone” and “capped with an enormous jewel”…

Despite decades of denial by archaeologists and bureaucrats, the surprising truth of the matter is that whilst no white pyramid has so far been found here - there are pyramids in China!

Believed to be the burial places of various emperors and generals, there are loads1 of these tombs scattered all over this plain. They range in size from relatively tiny to rivaling the Great pyramid of Giza in terms of footprint (although even the largest is only around one third the height of Giza’s largest).

Surprisingly, it took until 1994 before these monuments were widely publicised, when German author Hartwig Hausdorf published his book Die Weisse Pyramide, in which he told the story of trying to find the mysterious White Pyramid for himself.

There is a short Wikipedia page on the Chinese Pyramids, but for a really thorough examination of the myth surrounding these monuments, read the report at unexplainedearth.com which includes some ground level shots.

Thanks to Christoph Hoflack and Simon Brennan.


  1. Despite hours of research, I still can’t work out exactly how many of these pyramids the are - and reports range between 20 and 100. How many can you find? 

13 Responses to 'The Great White Pyramid of China'

  1. 1. Patrick says:

    I was wondering when these pyramids were gonna show up here. These things have mystified me for a while now and I was so excited to find them on GE…very impressive.

  2. 2. randall says:

    i saw them when i went to china last year. apparently them may not be as high as the great pyramids at giza, but a majority of their storage space is underground, making them much bigger.

  3. 3. Brahmahum says:

    I think this is one of the most fascinating things there is.
    I one’s did a remote viewing; it was very difficult, something was constantly blokking; but I saw trucks near the pyramids, removing things. I think this has only be done recently(could be wrong on this).
    Personly I think this is all alien stuff, seriously.
    These pyramids have been made with alien technology, they have been cut out with “alien laser”(sorry, I don’t believe we have the correct name:-).
    Say I’m crazy, go ahead, I don’t mind!
    You could call these whole region alien!
    And some people in China too; don’t misunderstand me; I love the Chinese people. These pyramids are a warning for the rest of the world: don’t mess with us, because we have the real stuff, and we have alien technology, that’s very powerfull; so leave those Chinese alone, please.:-)
    BTW, one thing: do you see those break-lines in the pyramids: what could that possibly mean???

  4. 4. WahooPrince says:

    Brahmahum…grass/tree covered mounds of dirt represent “powerful”, “alien technology” that Earthlings should be afraid of??? As Bugs Bunny would say, “what a maroon!”

  5. 5. cody says:

    Keep in mind that in ancient times, these pyramids would have had a different appearance. In fact, it is not impossible that there were other structures in relative proximity that no longer exist.

    What of the theory that they are landing platforms for alien craft? Who is to say this is incorrect (as far fetched as it may be)?

  6. 6. Brahmahum says:

    Hi, I think “WahooPrince” refers to the Hausdorf pic’s?
    The new sat. pic’s of Google Maps are quite different aren’t they?
    I agree with “cody” on the landing platform possibility, but it doesn’t have to be “craft”, could be creatures.
    I also have a more rational explanation for these pyramides:
    I think these PYRAMIDES WERE MADE TO END THE ICE-AGE!
    Anybody thought of that?
    Greetings from megalithic Drenthe in the Netherlands

  7. 7. john says:

    its amazing!!!go dj go dj!!!!!!!!

  8. 8. Aykut says:

    These are Turkic Pyramids which were built by Uighurs thousands of years ago.
    If you look at their inside carefully and research, you can see that they are Turkic Pyramids.

  9. 9. Gao says:

    To Aykut, Turkish people weren’t around thousands of years back.

  10. 10. Mehmet Sezgun says:

    Turkish people have been around for 13000 years, for your information.

  11. 11. Timuçin says:

    Due to the German researcher Hartwig Hausdorf ( the scientist who took the pics of the Pyramids) there have been Turkic writings and mummies in the Pyramids. And for abou 13000 years Turks have been living at that area, today the Uighurs (Chineese gov. does not let scientists to search that area today) live in that area.If there is a search at there, and if it is true as Hartwing says, if there are Turkic writings at there, that means Günes Dil Kurami (Sun-Language theorem) which is made by Turkish History Centre at the presidence of M. Kemal Atatürk means true. And if it is true, that can make a lot of trouble to China and U.S.A.

  12. 12. John says:

    Like some of the above comments, I too suspect that these structures are the works of proto-Turks.

    Unlike the history we get taught here in the west, the history of Turks is much older and encompasses various civilizations that we have been thinking as different/independent of them. For examples the earliest settlers in Italy, the fore-fathers of the Roman Empire, the Ethruscans have been genetically identified as the same as the people in central asia, Turkistan. Various city-state civilizations like the Trojans are also proven to be a branch of these same people, akin to proto-Turks, and not Hellenic as we are accustomed to think.

    Again, recent research into the Hittite, Babylonian and also the languages presented in the stone inscriptions found in northern europe, called the “futharks” are very similar to the ancient Turkish alphabet and are able to be deciphered using ancient Turkish alphabet.

    All of this brings further reasoning why the Sun Language Theory needs further study.

    The pyramids in ancient Turk lands, now within Chinese borders could be just the tip of the iceberg of an ancient civilization that western historians have overlooked. It is interesting why the Chinese government does not allow research on the pyramids and our western academicians do not pressure China for such research.

    Perhaps the history as we know might not be so accurate, perhaps these pyramids in asia point to a cradle of civilization, as hypothesised in the proto-Turkish Sun Language Theory, spreading all over the world, resulting in the Egyptian, Greek and Indo-European civilizations we falsly take as the start of our western civilization.

    I recommend those interested to try to source works of Kazim Mirsan, Turgay , Polat Kaya, Turgay Tufekci and Turgay Kurum in english to read some of the works they have done related to this old culture we know so little about, the Turks.

    Best Regards,
    John Smith

  13. 13. Doug Weller says:

    These pyramids are well known. Some are important tourist attractions with their own museums. Although the First Emperor’s mausoleum has not been excavated, 598 pits around it have been - 3 of them containing the Terracotta Army. There has been no denial of their existence, that’s a myth. Western archaeologists have known of their existence for a very long time — from The Science News-Letter, Vol. 51, No. 15. (Apr. 12, 1947), pp. 232-233.”The Chinese pyramids of that region are built of mud and dirt and are more like mounds than the pyramids of Egypt, and the region is little travelled. American scientists who have been in the area suggest that the height of 1,000 feet, more than twice as high as any of the Egyptian pyramids, may have been exaggerated, because most of the Chinese
    mounds of that area are built relatively low.
    The location, reported 40 miles southwest of Sian, is in an area of great archaeological importance, but few of the pyramids have ever been explored.”
    Which is no surprise since there had been civil war in China for decades at that time.

Leave a Reply

This form will auto-link URLs or you can use simple HTML, <a href="http://googlesightseeing.com">Like this</a>.

Link to specific places either as a Google Maps page or a decimal latitude and longitude written like this: lat/lng:55.949400,-3.200000.

If you've found an unrelated sight that you think should be posted in its own entry then use the suggestion form!