XI'AN, Dec. 2 (Xinhuanet) -- Northwest China's Shaanxi Province has developed a high-tech alarm to protect ancient tombs and otherunderground cultural sites from burglars.

    The alarm of the SLT125 device will sound within 30 milliseconds of detecting the ground vibrations caused by any intruder, according to sources with Shaanxi Letong Electronic Application Technology Co.

    The company has worked out the alarm device at the request of the provincial cultural heritage bureau. The device passed the evaluation of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage earlier this week.

    Experts with the evaluation committee agreed it is feasible to protect underground heritage pieces and combat illegal excavations with ground wave probing technologies.

    Developers of the system say the device ensures nearly 100 percent accuracy in detecting potential burglaries, either throughdigging or use of explosives.  It is also sophisticated enough to tell the location of potential intruders from two to 30 meters underground.

    Despite the local government's recent successes in curbing illegal excavations, occasional thefts are reported in tombs that are scattered in the outback.

    The northwestern province boasts is rich in cultural heritage resources,  particularly in the ancient capital city of Xi'an. Enditem