🐉 Nine Dragons in Glazed Glory: A Pause Outside Ning Shou Palace

#chinatravel #july2025 #must-see #unescosite Just beyond Huangji Gate in the quiet northeast of the Forbidden City lies a wall that doesn’t separate—but captivates. The Nine-Dragon Screen of Ning Shou Palace stands not as a barrier, but as a storyteller in glazed tile and imperial symbolism. Stretching nearly 30 meters, this single-sided screen is a masterwork of symmetry and power. Each of the nine dragons, carved in motion and bursting from swirling waves and clouds, was formed from a puzzle of over 270 glazed ceramic pieces. Together, they shimmer in shades of blue, yellow, green, and red—a palette reserved for emperors. But it’s not just artistry—it’s a statement. The number nine (and five, hidden in the proportions) was long associated with the throne, and this wall reinforces that celestial mandate in visual form. Stand in front of it on a quiet morning, and you may hear more than the tourist murmurs—you might feel the hush of history, coiling like the dragons themselves.