Nine Dragon Screen Forbidden City & Dongcheng Central

The Nine Dragon Screen, a 5m-tall, 27m-wide spirit wall, is one of three such screens in China. It's a spectacular composition of coiling dragons picked out in coloured glazed tiles, built in 1773 as part of a wholesale renovation of the northeastern section of the palace to create a retirement pad for Emperor Qianlong. The screen here was inspired by the one in Beihai Park. Considered a benevolent creature, the dragon in China is the symbol of power, luck and longevity, with the power to dispel drought.