In the small town of Wuan, in Hebei Province in northern China, stands the Dinghui Temple. Here is kept something amazing - a gilded mummy of the Buddhist master Qi Xian, which is more than a thousand years old. The mummy itself was discovered in the 1970s.

It may seem like a statue or a monument, but inside is a real person who was lacquered 1,000 years ago!

In photographs, she looks as if time had no power over her: her skin glistens gold, her posture is calm and majestic. And a recent CT scan just added fuel to the fire of mystery: the monk's bones and brain are still in perfect condition.

Last week, the gilded remains of Master Qi Xian were sent for medical examination right in Dinghui Temple. Scientists decided to look inside this relic using CT scanning, a technology that is usually used for living patients. The results stunned everyone: the bones of a monk who lived a thousand years ago were intact, with no signs of decay, and his brain was preserved as if death had only lightly touched it. It was as if he had just fallen into an eternal sleep.

How is that possible? Normally, bodies decompose over time, but this mummy is an exception. Perhaps it's the special method of mummification used by Buddhist monks. They could use special substances or dry the body in certain conditions to preserve it for centuries. And the gold coating that was applied to the remains not only made them holy, but also protected them from external influences.

Master Qi Xian is not just a mummy, but a figure surrounded by legends. He is said to have been born in ancient India and travelled to China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). This was an era when Buddhism was actively spreading across Asia, and missionaries such as Qi Xian carried the Buddha's teachings to distant lands. He was a respected monk known for his wisdom and profound meditations.

After his death, he was not buried like a normal person. Instead, his body was mummified, perhaps to preserve it as a symbol of spiritual power. This is how Master Qi Xian became a relic that is honored at Dinghui Temple. Believers come here to worship him, believing that his remains hold sanctity and blessing.

Why is the body of Master Qi Xian so well preserved? Scientists assume that it is due to the practice of mummification, which was sometimes found among Buddhist monks. Such monks prepared for death by following a strict diet, drinking herbal concoctions and meditating in closed spaces to dry their bodies naturally. After death, they were placed in airtight tombs where the process was completed.

A CT scan confirmed that the internal organs, including the brain, were still in place. This is rare for mummies that are a thousand years old. But this does not mean that the body is ‘alive’ - it is just incredibly well preserved thanks to ancient knowledge and storage conditions.

And now for the most intriguing part: some claim that Master Qi Xian's mummy is showing signs of life. It's said that scientists noticed faint pulses inside the body during the examination. Sounds like science fiction, right? But let's look into it.

Computed tomography is a technique that creates detailed pictures of internal structures. It can show bones, tissue, and even the remains of organs, but it does not measure signs of life, such as heartbeat or breathing. A mummy is a desiccated body with no blood, fluids or working cells. Biological activity is impossible in such a state.

So where did these rumors come from? Perhaps someone misinterpreted the CT scan data or exaggerated the results to sensationalize them. The scientists who conducted the study did not report any pulses - this is most likely a fiction hyped by mystery buffs. The science so far speaks clearly: the mummy is dead, though remarkably preserved.

For Buddhists, the mummy of Master Qi Xian is not just a historical find. It is a shrine, a symbol of the spiritual path and enlightenment. They believe that such masters who have reached the highest wisdom leave their bodies as a reminder of the eternity of the spirit. Dinghui Temple has become a place of pilgrimage, where people from all over China come to touch this secret.

Master Qi Xian and his gilded mummy is a story of the human soul, faith and the craftsmanship of the ancients. CT scans have shown us that his bones and brain have survived a thousand years, but rumors of ‘signs of life’ remain just rumors.

But conspiracy theorists believe that even if signs of life were found, they would probably keep it quiet. The world does not need such sensations, and let the past remain in the past. There are statements that there are hundreds if not thousands of such mummies all over the planet, and all of them are well hidden and sleeping in a cave, waiting for their hour. There is a legend about the so-called ‘Age of Noon’, when all sleeping prophets will have to wake up and tell people all the secrets of the afterlife.