According to historical records, in the early years of Liu and Song Dynasties (42 1), when the royal garden was renovated, the "Four Rooftops" were built on the top of Jilong Mountain. Full-time officials observed the sky, measured the weather, provided data and compiled calendars. In the Yuan Dynasty, the observatory was rebuilt on the original site, and in the first year of Zheng Zheng (134 1), astronomical instruments invented by astronomer Guo Shoujing were equipped for the first time. In the 14th year of Hongwu in Ming Dynasty (138 1 year), it was rebuilt as the Tiantai of Qin Dynasty. After Emperor Yongle bypassed Beijing, the scale of Qin Tiantai was not as big as before. By the early years of Qing Emperor Kangxi, all the remaining instruments and equipment were transported to Beijing, and the Qintiantai was abandoned. In the 23rd year of Kangxi (1684), Emperor Kangxi made a southern tour and visited Jilong Mountain, enjoying the mountains and rivers of Jinling and the scenery of the ancient capital, which was deeply appreciated. The inscription "Kuangguan" was given to bureaucrats, and then local officials erected a monument and built a pavilion here. This has produced famous buildings, such as the Arctic Pavilion and the Wanshou Pavilion. Named after the "North Pole", the pavilion may be located in the Six Dynasties.

During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, Jilong Mountain and Arctic Pavilion were once listed as one of the 48 scenic spots in Jinling, named "Jilong Yunshu". In the third year of Xianfeng (1853), the buildings such as the Arctic Pavilion were burned down by the Taiping Army, and Cecilia Yip was rebuilt in the tenth year (187 1). 19 1 1 year, when the Revolution of 1911 broke out, Zhang Xun established the Arctic Pavilion. It was shelled by Jiangsu and Zhejiang Coalition forces and was seriously damaged. By 1927, when Zhu Kezhen was the director of the Institute of Meteorology of Academia Sinica, Beibanting was on the verge of collapse. 193 1 year later, the institute of meteorology built a second-floor library on the north side of the meteorological observatory, and an earthquake observation room was set up on the underground platform. The cornerstone is the inscription of Cai Yuanpei, then president of Academia Sinica.

In modern times, the astronomical observation and research functions of the observatory set up in the mountains by the former Qin Dynasty were transferred to the Purple Mountain Observatory. At the east foot of the Arctic Pavilion, there is the Jiming Temple built in Liang Xiao. On the south side of the mountain, Southeast University is now located in a part of the former site of imperial academy in the northwest of Ming Dynasty.