Photo:weibo

A gravestone that experts say may date back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) was discovered in Sun Moon Lake on the island of Taiwan after the lake dried up due to drought. Experts on the island say the gravestone might belong to the first group of Han people who settled on Taiwan at that time.

According to the Beijing Evening News, the discovery was announced on a post uploaded on the Facebook Saturday. The announcement said that the gravestone was found by a tourist who was visiting the lake.

The Chinese inscription on the stone can be seen clearly in a photo of the gravestone posted on social media. According to the inscription, the gravestone was built during the 11th year of the Qianlong Emperor, which places it in the year 1746.

The gravestone was placed in the lake alone because of the fracture and does not connect to the tomb.

Huang Jinsheng, a local historian, said that the gravestone most likely belonged to a member of the first group of Han people who settled on the island during the early Qing Dynasty. 

The discovery of the tombstone also sparked discussion among netizens in the Chinese mainland.

"This is more proof that Taiwan has always been part of China. Why do politicians in the green camp still put up a desperate struggle?" one netizen commented on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo.

Some experts argue that the tombstone is not from the Qing Dynasty as the material and inscription were the in the style of the Republic of China (1912-1949).

The gravestone has been sent to a research institute for further study.