Corner Towers of Forbidden City (紫禁城角楼)

The 4 corner towers of lofty walls were established in 1420, rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). As one part of the Forbidden City, they served as the defense facility just as the lofty walls. The construction of “9-girders, 18-columns and 72-ridges” fully shows the charm and beauty. Although it was built for defense, it never experienced a war all along. Hence, this perfect ancient building of mortise and tenon structure stays safe and sound.

Nowadays, we can still find a hint of Jiangnan Sizhu’s charm from the reflection in the moat. The clean and clear moat had planted lotus since the Kangxi period. It was not did for satisfy Emperor Kangxi’s interest that “listen to the rain dripping on the dead lotus”. On the contrary, it was for creating income and increasing efficiency with lotus roots. The archives of the Forbidden City recorded the Emperor's thrift with no taboo.