Ruins of lost city found in drained reservoir

Chinese archaeologists have dug up the ruins of a 2,000-year-old walled city on the North Korean border, a significant historical find that could heighten regional diplomatic tensions over who can claim title to the ancient kingdom of Koguryo.

The ruins, exposed when a reservoir was drained near the city of Ji'an, are believed to date from the Han Dynasty, which reigned from 202 BC to AD 220. They include a burial area with 2,360 tombs from Korea's Koguryo kingdom.

China and the two Koreas all claim Koguryo as part of their historical legacies because Koguryoruled north-eastern China and the Korean peninsula 2,000 years ago. South Korea even changed its name in Chinese from "Hancheng", which translates as "Chinese city" to "Shou'er", which sounds like Seoul.

Last month, South and North Korea co-operated on a dig in Pyongyang and jointly unearthed an ancient palace site which they said was a royal residence of the Koguryo kingdom.