One of many sculptures to be seen around the Forbidden City, representing longevity.
"On the terrace of the main hall, Tai He Dian, are two tortoises or turtle-looking beasts. These are Bei Xi, (pronounced bay shee) though to the uninitiated the only feature that is not typical of a tortoise is the head, which is fiercely dragon-like. The Bei Xi, was considered a son of the dragon, and loves to bear heavy weights. Tortoises and turtles were believed to live for many hundreds of years. (The Chinese had only one name for the both.) . The dome shaped back of the turtle and the tortoise was taken to represent the universe or the heavens, and it was believed that the upper vaulted part of its shell had markings corresponding to the constellations." - Roy Bates, The Forbidden City - A Brief Introduction
