Beijing Dabaotai Han Tomb Museum is a very unique emperor site museum. It was built up more than two thousand years ago in the site of the underground palace of Liu Jian (73 B.C. to 45 B.C.), who is the Guanyanqing Feudal Prince in the Western Han Dynasty. Archeologists excavated the site in the 1970s, uncovering relics invaluable to the historical record of Beijing.

The huge tomb is comprised of burial chamber, antechamber (furnished like an imperial sitting room) and coffin chamber (with five coffins for the emperor). About 15,800 cypress logs went into the massive construction, which was then sealed with charcoal and gypsum to protect against the elements.

Though the tomb did mot escape early grave robbers and vandals, over 400 burial objects of pottery, bronze, iron, jade, agate, lacquer and silk were salvaged. A piece of the earliest decarbonized steel known in China, woven brocade hat ribbons and iron axes stamped with the characters “Yuyang ironsmith,” as well as local agricultural products are also on display.

Travel tips:

Address: South Guogongzhuang, Fengtai District;
Entry ticket: 10 yuan;
Opening hours: 9:00– 4:00;
Transportation: Bus No. 635, 744 and 937;
Tel: 86-10-83612852.

(China.org.cn May 17,2008)