Experts left puzzled by UFO-shaped rock discovered in mountains in China

Xia Changjun, a villager from Hubei, central China, spotted the rock by hillside[CN]

Xia Changjun，中国中部湖北省的一个村民，在山坡上发现了这个石头。

He thought the stone looked like a UFO and spent one week digging it out[CN]

他觉得这个石头看起来像不明飞行物，花上一个星球挖了出来。

A buyer offers £11,765 for the stone but Mr Xia said it was too precious to sell[CN]

有卖家出11,765的价格买下这颗石头，但是夏先生说太珍贵了，不卖。

Local historians could not explain why the stone has such a strange shape  [CN]

当地历史学家也解释不了为什么这块石头会有这么奇怪的形状。

Xia Changjun spotted an interesting rock with seven holes through it in a deserted mountain[CN]

Xia Changjun在荒芜的大山上看到了一个有趣的石头，有7个大洞。

The base of the rock has several pillars of different sizes to provide support to the whole piece[CN]

岩石的底部有好几根不同尺寸的柱子支撑起整块石头。

There are seven holes in the middle layer where you can clearly see the views behind the rock[CN]

在中间那层有7个大洞，你可以清清楚楚的看到在石头后面的风景。

Rock and roll...NOT! The massive rare rock weighs six tonnes and can only be carried by crane[CN]

石头上吊炸天（谐音：摇滚乐）不信？这块大块的罕有石头重6吨，只有吊车可以搬得动。

Five pillars sit on the top layer of the rock along with a broad platform where people can sit on[CN]

石头顶层有5条墩，有很广阔的台面可供一坐。

A Chinese villager claimed he had discovered a boulder that shaped like a UFO.[CN]

一个中国村民声称发现了一个类似不明飞行物的卵石。

Xia Changjun reportedly found the rock as he drove in a mountain in central China's Hubei Province, and he decided to bring it home because he found it 'unusual'.[CN]

据说Xia Chanhun找到这个石头，当时他在中国中部的湖北省山区里开车。于是他决定把它搬回家，毕竟发现了嘛。

Not only Mr. Xia, local historians are also puzzled by the shape of the stone as they tried to find out whether it was carved by ancient people or shaped by nature.[CN]

不止夏先生，当地的历史学家也对这块石头的形状感到着迷，他们想找出这块石头是否是由古人雕刻而成或是自然力量所为。

Xia Changjun saw the large rock by the hillside when he was driving in a mountain near Baokang county in Xiangyang in April, according to People's Daily Online. 

He said he spotted a funny-looking rock with holes on it. He pulled off his car and started digging with his iron shovel. 

Noticing the majority parts of the rock are buried underground, Xia contacted the landlord and bought the rock. 

Xia spent a week digging the rock out. 

The man showed off his rare find to media this week.

The oval-shaped rock weighs about six tonnes, 2.8 metres long (nine feet), 2 metres wide (6.6 feet) and 1.6 metres tall (5.2 feet).

The rock has three tiers. 

The base is formed by several stone pillars, giving support to the upper layers. 

The middle layer has seven holes and the top tier has a flat platform, with five pillars standing on one side. 

Wang Qingxiang, an expert on the culture and history of Hubei and Hunan, is also puzzled by the strangely shaped rock.  

Mr. Wang told a reporter that he was not sure if the shape of the rock was natural or it had been hand carved by the ancestors living in the area. 

However, Mr. Wang identified it as a basalt stone.

Mr. Wang also suggested the rock could have served as an altar table for ritual purpose or even a wartime signal in ancient times.

The man claimed that a buyer had offered to purchase his 'UFO rock' for 100,000 yuan (£11,765) this week, but he turned down the offer.

'I didn't sell it. This is too precious to me,' said Xia.

Xia said the rock was too massive that he could only use a crane to carry it home.