Nine-dragon Screen Wall (Jiulong bi)

This glazed screen wall facing Huang Ji Men (Gate of the Norms of Government) was constructed when Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty renovated the Ning Shou Gong (Palace of Peace and Longevity) area. There are nine dragons on the wall, hence the name. Nine Dragon Screen Wall has a double roof in wudian (thatched hall) style covered with yellow galzed tiles, and sits on a white marble stone Sumeru base, 3.5 meters high and 29.4 meters wide. This wall is composed of 270 glazed decoratice bricks. With seawater as the background, nine dragons are encircled by waves adn clouds, and separated by sixe groups of rocks. A yellow dragon is in the center, and eight dragon in blue, white, purple and yellow dragons are on both sides. The dragon was the symbol of the emperor in ancient China. The roof has five ridges, each having a dragon, and the main ridge also has five dragons. Incidentally, Datong in Shanxi Province has a Nine Dragon Screen Wall built in the Ming Dynasty, and Beihai Park in Beijing has one constructed in the Qing Dynasty.