City gates of Beijing

---

The modern city area of Beijing was primarily laid out in the Ming Dynasty and consisted of the Forbidden City, the Imperial City, the Inner City and several layers of Outer Cities.

The Forbidden City

It has four gates, namely the Meridian Gate in the south, the Gate of Spiritual Prowess in the north, the East Flower Gate in the east, and the West Flower Gate in the west.

The Imperial City

It has six gates: the Daming Gate in the south, and the main gate (the Chengtian Gate, renamed as Tian’anmen Gate-the Gate of Heavenly Peace in the Qing Dynasty) next to it.

In front of the Gate of Heavenly Peace is Tian’anmen Square. In the northeast and the northwest are the Chang’an Zuomen Gates, also called the Dongtian (East Heaven) Zuomen and Xi Sanzuomen (West Three Zuomen) Gates respectively. In the east is the East Flower Gate, and in the north is the Bei’anmen Gate (North Peace Gate).

The Inner City

It has nine gates: Zhengyangmen (former Yangzhengmen), Chongwenmen (former Wenmingmen), Chaoyangmen (former Qihuamen), Dongzhimen, Andingmen, Deshengmen, Xizhimen, Fuchengmen (former Pingzemen), and Xuanwumen (former Shunchengmen).

The Outer City

It has seven gates: Dongbianmen, Guangqumen, Zuo’anmen, Yongdingmen, You’anmen, Guang’anmen and Xibianmen.

The local saying “nine inners and seven outers” refers to the gates in the Inner and Outer City.

In the past, there were strict regulations on going through the gates.

Zhengyangmen Gate was the main gate of the capital, and was for imperial carriages and wagons only;

Chongwenmen Gate was for wine carriages, and it had a tax office for fish and wine merchants.

Chaoyangmen Gate was the entrance for grain shipped from southern China to Beijing via the Grand Canal.

Dongzhimen Gate was the entrance for timber.

Andingmen Gate was for dung wagons.

Deshengmen Gate was the place where military troops set off.

Xizhimen Gate was for water wagons, because water serving the emperor came from the Jade Spring Mountain.

Xuanwumen Gate was for wagons of prisoners.

---