Wanli Crown

Ming Tombs, Beijing (map)

The golden crown of Emperor Wanli, with finely-worked gold mesh designs, was excavated from his tomb in 1956. It is currently (2006) exhibited, along with other treasures from Dingling, in the Hall of Heavenly Favors at Changling. Wanli, the 13th Ming emperor, died in 1620 after ruling for 47 years. R. L. Thorp (Visiting China's Past, p. 279) estimates that the cost of Wanli's tomb equaled the total revenue of the imperial court for two years.