In 1956 after liberation, a decision was made by the Chinese Government to open up the tomb. It was the first time that an imperial tomb was excavated in China in a scientific way.
Dingling is now a museum made up of three sections: the Underground Palace and two exhibition rooms. The objects on display are mostly originals. The trip to the Ming Tombs certainly gives us a better understanding of the Ming Dynasty art, the tomb structure and the Emperor's extravagance in building the tomb.

Exhibition Room I

The Model of the Tomb Mound

In May 1956, an archaeological team started excavating Dingling. It took them one year to uncover three deep tunnels and find the exact entrance to the Underground Palace. Some decayed bricks at the southwestern end of the surrounding wall showed that there had been an archway. The team later found a narrow, brick-walled tunnel which runs zigzag to the back of the mound.

In opening up the second tunnel, a stone slab was uncovered on which the inscription reads: 160 feet further and 35 feet deep to the "diamond wall," the sealing wall of the Underground Palace. This tablet provided important clue to the further excavation of the Underground Palace. Archaeologists said that the tablet was meant to guide the builders who might need it for reopening the tomb.

Jade Belt