Datong
is known as the "Home of the Dragon Walls". There are a nine
dragon screen, a five dragon screen, a three dragon screen and an one
dragon screen in the city. The most famous is the Nine Dragon Screen.
Nine Dragon
Screen, located at the city's Dongdajie Street, was built 600 years ago
during the reign of Emperor Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty. It was originally
a screen wall in front of the gate of the palace of the thirteenth son
of Emperor Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang. The screen is 45.5 meters long, 8 meters
high, and 2 meters thick, consisting of 426 pieces of glazed tiles. The
nine dragons were depicted fighting and frolicking in the clouds above
the blue sea.
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