In China, there are three Nine Dragon Screens (Nine Dragon Screen in Datong, Nine Dragon Screen in Beihai Park and Nine Dragon Screen in Forbidden). With the history of 600 years, Datong Ning Dragon Screen stands as the oldest and the largest glazed wall in all of China.

Datong Ning Dragon Screen was built for the thirteenth son of Zhu Yuanzhang (the first Emperor of the Ming Dynasty). The screen is 45.5 meters long, 8 meters high and 2.02 meters thick which consists of 426 specially-fired glazed bricks totally. The screen can be divided in to three parts: the pedestal, body and roof. The roof of the screen is covered with glazed tiles. The pedestal is 2.09 meters high with the rectangular shape and covered with 41 sets relievos of "two dragons playing with a pearl". In the middle section of the pedestal sets the images of oxen, dogs, deer, sheep, rabbits and other animals, totally consists of 75 glazed tiles. The body is the major part of the Nine Dragon Screen. On the lower part designed the green wave, on the upper part designed the blue-yellow cloud and nine flying dragons are placed properly in the middle of the screen. With the style of simplicity, stability and dignity, the glazed nine dragons on the wall are all vividly.

The central dragon with the bright eyes staring firmly into the distance seems to be the most dignified one among all the nine dragons. On each side of the central dragon there is a pair of light yellow dragons with their tails pointed towards the central dragon. A second pair of elegant yellow dragons is next with their heads and tails pointed west. A third pair is the purple dragons which seem to be the most dragons ones wrestling with the sea. One of the features of Datong Nine Dragon Screen is that the claws of all the dragons only have four fingers. This is the difference between the Emperor and other royal families. The Nine Dragon Screen in the Forbidden City and Beihai Park have five fingers.

The Nine dragon screens only existed at imperial palaces and mansions of noble which are a special indication of social status in ancient China. So during your tour in Datong, never miss the largest Nine Dragon Screen in China.