Many main palace buildings are built a bit above the ground level, on a (sometimes marble) platform. Staircases lead up to the level of the building. Some of them have what they call the “dragon path”.
The dragon path is the bit smack bang in the middle of the staircase. Only the emperor may walk on it.
I looked around for a not-so-main building, where the dragon path wasn’t fenced up. And I made sure to walk all over it 
Actually it’s pretty difficult to walk on! Maybe the emperor got carried up on a palanquin, with the servants carrying it walking on the steps on either side of the path.
