Iron Dragon Screen

There is a legend in Beijing that tells how once the city was plagued by sandstorms, caused by an evil witch and her apprentice. Their efforts to bury the city were twarthed by two kindly dragons, disguised as an old couple living in the city. They used their powers of thunder and rain and drove the witch and her apprentice away towards the desert, never to return.

 

Many years, later, sandstorms came again and the people of Beijing built a screen of iron, depictig the two dragons, and placed it in front of Deshengmen, the city gate facing the desert. The screen, imbued by the power of the image of the dragons, protected the city and saved it once again.

 

Then the modern days arrived, and people no longer believed the tales of old, and rather followed the tenets of science. In order to enlarge the roads, the Iron Screen was moved inside Beihai Park and forgotten by most of the citizens.

 

Since then, sandstorms have got worse year after year.

Done