CHUXIONG: Ma Chingrong, a peasant from Yongren county in the Chuxiong province of China, has spent 16 years digging alone for a buried treasure that he saw in his dreams.

After 16 years of digging, Ma has dug a 500-metre deep hole but found no treasure. Despite this, he remains determined to keep digging until he has found what he saw in his dream.

At first, everyone thought he was mad. However, as time went on, Ma persisted in his digging, uncovering an underground cave filled with stalactites of various shapes. He said that the villagers who lived nearby were impressed by his determination and sent him food. They even arranged for water to be piped to the site of his digging.

Ma spends his days inside the cave, disregarding the cycles of day and night. He eats when he is hungry and sleeps when he is tired. The rest of his time is devoted to digging for the treasure.

He believes that it will only take one or two years more before he finds it.

Another baffling thing about the situation is the fact that although Ma is illiterate, he has carved many words on the cave walls.