The four watchtowers at the four corners of the Forbidden City may seem inconspicuous, but in fact, they carry the high skills of ancient traditional wooden structure architecture in China. The internal structure is composed of nine beams, eighteen columns, and seventy-two ridges. Such a complex and exquisite building seems to exist only in the heavens. As a result, a legend has been passed down about the construction of the watchtowers.
At that time, Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Di, specifically required the minister in charge of building the Forbidden City to build four extremely beautiful watchtowers at the four corners of the palace city. Each watchtower should have nine beams, eighteen columns, and seventy-two ridges. After this minister arrived in Beijing, he called all the masters of well-known construction factories and told them the emperor’s will. They were given a deadline of three months to complete these four watchtowers that met the requirements on time. This really stumped these old masters. Just when everyone was at a loss, a carpenter master saw an old man selling many cricket cages. He bought one to relieve boredom. Unexpectedly, upon closer inspection, this delicately stacked cricket cage had exactly nine beams, eighteen columns, and seventy-two ridges. Thus, the watchtower was designed in this way. It is said that that old man is Lu Ban who appeared miraculously. In addition to its decorative function, the watchtower, together with the city wall, city gate tower, and moat, belongs to the defensive facilities of the imperial palace. Its function is equivalent to a lookout tower. Being high up, it is convenient for detecting the enemy. The best place to photograph the watchtower is at the northwest corner outside the moat. The northwest corner watchtower of the Forbidden City has been renovated. The yellow glazed tile roof and gilded treasure roof shine brightly in the sun. Against the blue sky and white clouds, it appears even more solemn and beautiful. The opening hours are as follows: From November 1st to March 31st, open from Tuesday to Sunday, 08:30 – 16:30; from April 1st to October 31st, open from Tuesday to Sunday, 08:30 – 17:00; closed all day on Mondays throughout the year; on New Year’s Day and Spring Festival, open from 08:30 – 16:30.
