Ice Storehouses, Ancient ice storage facility in Forbidden City, China
Four large underground chambers with thick stone walls and arched ceilings stand in a north-south direction near the Garden of Compassion and Tranquility.
During imperial times, workers collected ice blocks from the Moat outside the Forbidden City after the Winter Solstice for year-round storage and preservation.
These storage facilities demonstrate the sophisticated engineering methods used by Chinese imperial society for food preservation and temperature control.
The structures measure 11 meters in length and 6.4 meters in width, featuring drainage systems and 2-meter-thick walls that maintained stable temperatures.
Each chamber could store more than 5,000 ice cubes measuring 0.5 meters, which were used to preserve food and cool drinks for the imperial household.
Location: Donghuamen Subdistrict
Part of: Forbidden City
GPS coordinates: 39.91633,116.38902
Latest update: March 7, 2025 03:06
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