Heavy rains spare ancient Forbidden City, flood modern skyscrapers (photos)
Built 600 years ago, the imperial palace has a drainage system that works better than modern ones. Despite weeks of pounding rains across China, hundreds of “water spitting” dragon-shaped drainage points in the Forbidden City release excess water and prevent flooding. Online humour stresses how “modern drainage systems can't even beat the ancient ones that were erected six centuries ago!"
Beijing (AsiaNews/Shangaiist) – After weeks of floods across China, only one place seems safe and dry, the Forbidden City.
Built 600 years ago under the Ming Dynasty, Beijing's imperial compound has not suffered any of the flooding that has affected many Chinese provinces.
Due to its ancient drainage system, the Forbidden City has responded better to the emergency than modern buildings and skyscrapers.
On the outside of each chamber, there are a number of dragon-shaped drainage points. When a rainstorm comes, the water can flow out each off these spouts, creating a spectacular scene of "thousands of dragons spitting water".
The palace also has a complex sewage system that allows the water to disperse, preventing overflows.
With heavy rainstorms pounding cities across northern China, including Beijing, netizens couldn't help but notice how dry the ancient palace looked, and made some snarky comments.
"The drainage system is indeed very good, but that's because it was built 600 years ago," one netizen wrote in.
"Of course the drainage system in the Forbidden City is excellent. Those who didn't work hard to build the damn thing were beheaded as a warning to others back in those days. Now, even with awful drainage systems, we can't even find someone to blame," another chimed in.
"With all our technological advances, modern drainage systems can't even beat the ancient ones that were erected six centuries ago!" one web user sighed.
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