Nine Dragon Nine Phoenix Crown Unearthed at the Ding Tomb
As if their underground palace at the Ding Tomb was not enough, the Ding Tomb also has a small museum off to the side. It was not very obvious as you might think that it was a souvenir shop. But closer inspection here reveals a treasure trove of interesting artifacts. Back when the Ding Tomb was first excavated in the 1950s, a lot of the artifacts there were not carefully handled and a lot were lost due to deterioration. However some of the more durable items made it.
Gold Ingots Unearthed
There were a lot of artifacts which survived the excavation. Some of them were quite interesting. Among them were tapestries which depicted stories and symbolized the emperor and empress. There were gold ingots with text carved on them. But by far the most interesting artifact I saw was a nine dragon nine phoenix crown. This crown was worn during ceremonies and temple visits. The intricate design of the crown, although very different from any western royal crown, makes it very impressive.
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