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| Longting (Dragon Pavilion) Scenic Spot |
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At the northwest corner of Kaifeng City, lies the prominent Longting
Scenic Spot. As early as the Song and Jin periods, there was the palace
where the emperors lived and worked. The principle part of the Longting
complex is the well-known Longting Main Hall, built in 1734 during
the reign of Yong Zheng in the Qing Dynasty. The original name was
Wanshou Palace (Palace of Longevity).. It has a splendid stone foundation
which is about thirteen meters high with seventy-two stairs leading
to the top. The Longting Main Hall is nine rooms wide in the front
and twenty-six meters high decorated with yellowish-green glazed tiles,
delicate sculptures and beautiful pictures. The double-eaved roofs
warp upwards, giving the entire structure a look of elegance. Inside
the Main Hall lies a huge black stone block called Dragon Stone around
which thirteen rolling dragons have been skillfully and precisely
engraved. Tradition has it that it is the place where ancient people
received the imperial edict and where people enshrine the former emperors'
memorial tablets. Now, in the Main Hall, the wax figures of Zhao Kuangyin,
the first emperor of the Song Dynasty along with his high officials
and ministers are displayed. On each side outside the Wuzao Gate,
stands a large stone lion, created in the Ming Dynasty full of power
and grandeur. |
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