The Golden empire of the Jurchen which existed on the territory of today's Ussuriysk in the 12th century has left two ancient monuments, that is two stone turtles which once used to be installed as tombs on the graves of eminent warriors or rulers. It was before the Bolshevik revolution that one of the turtles was brought to Khabarovsk and has been kept in its museum until now while the other one was left in Ussuriysk.
The turtle has been mounted in the city park.
This very popular exhibit constantly attacked by infant climbers and those wishing to be taken photos of is permanently exposed to weather and therefore has already got a crack on its neck. The cultural department of the local administration has as a result taken the decision to build a transparent roof to protect the ancient monument from snow and rain.
The Golden empire of the Jurchen who were later called the Manchus was founded in 1115. In its heyday, the empire occupied all Manchuria, the southern part of the Far East, some areas in North Korea and the greater part of Northern China. About 87 percent of the population were Chinese while the Jurchen accounted for merely 10 percent and other peoples for some three percent. The Jurchen invaders partially borrowed from Chinese culture and build big cities with gorgeous palaces and temples.
