Rich cultural heritage at heart of fridge magnets

BEIJING — At the National Museum of China in Beijing, visitors queued up to catch a glimpse of the renowned empress' phoenix coronet, in the form of a fridge magnet.

The phoenix coronet, unearthed in 1957 in the underground palace of Dingling Mausoleum — part of the Ming Tombs in Beijing — is famous for its decoration featuring nine dragons and nine phoenixes. It boasts a distinctive design and exquisite craftsmanship, which vividly reflects the material and cultural standards of the mid to late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

"Fortunately, I managed to get one of the fridge magnets. There are two types: one made of wood and the other of metal. You can also scan a code on the metal magnet to experience the AR effect," said a Beijing resident surnamed Lin, who visited the museum recently.