Rainwater spouts from the mouths of stone dragon heads at the Palace Museum in Beijing during a heavy rain on July 30, 2024. /CFP

Rainwater spouts from the mouths of stone dragon heads at the Palace Museum in Beijing during a heavy rain on July 30, 2024. /CFP

Rainwater spouts from the mouths of stone dragon heads at the Palace Museum in Beijing during a heavy rain on July 30, 2024. /CFP

Rainwater spouts from the mouths of stone dragon heads at the Palace Museum in Beijing during a heavy rain on July 30, 2024. /CFP

Rainwater spouts from the mouth of a stone dragon head at the Palace Museum in Beijing during a heavy rain on July 30, 2024. /CFP

Rainwater spouts from the mouth of a stone dragon head at the Palace Museum in Beijing during a heavy rain on July 30, 2024. /CFP

Rainwater spouts from the mouths of stone dragon heads at the Palace Museum in Beijing during a heavy rain on July 30, 2024. /CFP

Rainwater spouts from the mouths of stone dragon heads at the Palace Museum in Beijing during a heavy rain on July 30, 2024. /CFP

Rainwater spouts from the mouths of stone dragon heads at the Palace Museum in Beijing during a heavy rain on July 30, 2024. /CFP

Rainwater spouts from the mouths of stone dragon heads at the Palace Museum in Beijing during a heavy rain on July 30, 2024. /CFP

Rainwater spouts from the mouths of stone dragon heads at the Palace Museum in Beijing during a heavy rain on July 30, 2024. /CFP

Rainwater spouts from the mouths of stone dragon heads at the Palace Museum in Beijing during a heavy rain on July 30, 2024. /CFP

Spectacular scenes of rainwater gushing out of the mouths of stone dragon heads in the Palace Museum, or Forbidden City, once again amazed visitors to the ancient palace in the Chinese capital during recent heavy rains.

There are a total of 1,142 stone dragon head-shaped spouts in the base platforms of the three main halls at the Palace Museum, which are effective at draining excess water. These facilities, along with other ingenious designs, form an efficient drainage system that has helped the centuries-old complex remain flood-free during most rainstorms since its construction.