China....dragons.....elaborate tilework...this must be the
Forbidden City!
In the middle of Beijing, China is the Imperial Palace...... the outer and inner courts are surrounded with high decorative walls created for protection as well as beauty.
The nine dragon wall is part of the inner court where the emperor resided. Began by the Ming dynasty,this is a screen to the Palace of Tranquil Longevity.
A copy of this is in Chicago's Chinatown.
The intricate, glazed tiles are works of art in themselves.
The Forbidden City used tile for roof ornamentation and pathways.
The three dimensional bas-relief tiles are incredibly detailed.
Wall panels of bas relief tiles are placed at intervals between the 900 plus buildings.
Yellow is the color of the emperor and was used on almost every roof. Green symbolized wood and growth.
The color of blue for the roof tiles is that perfect watery blue-green......
Even the end caps of the tiles have the symbol of the dragon!
