Watchtowers stand at the four corners of the Forbidden City. Each watchtower is supported by nine beams and 18 pillars and has three layers of eaves. There are 72 ridges on the roof with a gilded spire in the center.
The original palace was founded by Emperor Yongle between 1406 and 1420 but it is doubtful that any of the original buildings remain. It has gone up in flames then restored many times over the intervening centuries. It's looking particularly wonderful at present as part of Beijing's being spiffed up all over in anticipation of the 2008 Olympics.
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