Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region - Nanning 南宁市

Situated in the southwestern part of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning is the political, economic and cultural center of the region. The city enjoys a subtropical climate with an annual average temperature of 21.6℃. With a history of nearly 1,700 years, the city is famous for its subtropical scenery and known as the “green city.” Well planted along the boulevards are fruit and fragrant flower trees, such as bauhinia, magnolias, Jackfruit, almond, mango, which are in blossom everywhere and shading the streets of the city. There are such industries in the city as machinery, smelting, textile, chemicals, food processing, sugar refinery, and papermaking. Major scenic spots include South Lake Park, People’s Park, Western Suburb Park, Yiling Stalactite Cave and Daming (Very Bright) Mountain, etc.

The Largest Nine-Dragon Screen in China 中国最大的九龙壁

In early 2002, China’s largest Nine-Dragon Screen was put up in Bili Mountain Villa 碧丽山庄, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The Screen is 75 meters long and 5 meters high. It was designed by the Art Department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts. Up to now, there are four nine-dragon screens in China. The Nine-Dragon Screen in Beihai Park was built of 424 pieces of coloured glaze tiles in 1602 in the Ming Dynasty. It was revamped several times in the Qing Dynasty. The screen is 6.65 meters high, 25.86 meters long and 1.42 meters thick. It shows nine dragons playing in the waves. The Nine-Dragon Screen in Beihai Park, in Beijing is one of the indispensable sights for overseas tourists to Beijing to take in if they wish to follow the traces of China’s dragons. In nine different postures the nine dragons equally portray fierceness and vigour. Tourists marvel at the great artistic merit and the beautiful modeling of this ancient art object. The one in the Forbidden City, Beijing, was erected in 1773,6 meters high and 31meters long. The dragons romping in the sea are different in colour and posture. A peculiar interest is that a piece of the third dragon from the left (east) is made of wood. Legend relates that when the Nine-Dragon Screen was completed, a piece of glazed-tile fell and was broken. The following day, the ministers in charge were to come for inspection. That was the deadline. It was impossible to make another piece to match it. The craftsmen couldn’t do anything about it but asked carpenters to make a wooden one to replace it. During the inspection nothing was found wrong on the screen. Had the emperor found something wrong on the screen, the craftsmen would have been decapitated. That is why this piece of the Nine-Dragon Screen is made of wood. Because of good location, tourists both at home and abroad most frequently visit this Nine-Dragon Screen. The Nine-Dragon Wall in Datong, Shanxi Province was constructed as a screen in front of the prince residence of the 13th son Zhu Guidai of the First Ming emperor Zhu Yuanzhang in 1392 in the Ming Dynasty. It is the oldest piece of nine-dragon screen. The prince residence was destroyed by war in the end of the Ming Dynasty and only the Nine-Dragon Wall is still intact. The wall is 45.5 meters long, 8 meters high and 2.02 meters thick.

In imperial times in China, dragon was regarded as the symbol of the emperor. It has nine similarities: It has the antlers of a deer, the head of a camel, the eyes of a ghost, the neck of a snake, the belly of a clam, the scales of a carp, the claws of an eagle, the palm of a tiger, the ears of an ox.. 我国封建时代用龙作为皇帝的象征。 龙有九似：角似鹿，头似驼，眼似鬼，颈似蛇，腹似螴，鳞似鲤，爪似鹰，掌似虎，耳似牛。

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