A mountain biker made a grim discovery in a remote woodland in China when he came across a tent and found a dead body inside.

The biker said he had been suspicious when he travelled through the Qin Mountains in Shaanxi Province and noticed many flies buzzing around the tent.

The discovery was made on August 12, but the mountaineer, Ma Fengyuan, 25, had been missing since July. The tent was located just below the 3,000-metre line, and next to it were a backpack and other personal items.

Police believe the man set up the tent because of a severe storm, which prevented him from moving forward or backwards.

The tent was found in a difficult-to-cross mountain range known as the Aotai Line, which runs between Aoshan Mountain and Taibai Mountain in the Qinling Mountains.

Officials noted that using this route was illegal due to its perilous nature, but many still ventured through it, leading to previous incidents where individuals were injured or died after underestimating its difficulty.