
The Gate of China () was a historical ceremonial gateway in
Beijing
Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
, located near the center of latter-day
Tiananmen Square
Tiananmen Square or Tian'anmen Square () is a city square in the city center of Beijing, China, named after the Tiananmen ("''Gate of Heavenly Peace''") located to its north, which separates it from the Forbidden City. The square contains th ...
. It was demolished in 1954. This gate formed the southern gate of the
Imperial City during the
Ming and
Qing
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...
dynasties. It was situated on the central axis of Beijing, to the north of
Zhengyang Gate, and south of
Tiananmen
The Tiananmen , also Tian'anmen, is the entrance gate of the Forbidden City imperial palace complex and Imperial City in the center of Beijing, China. It is widely used as a national symbol.
First built in 1420 during the Ming dynasty, Ti ...
. Unlike these two defensive gates, the Gate of China was a purely ceremonial gateway, with no ramparts, but was a brick-stone structure with three gateways.
History
The gate was first built in the
Yongle
The Yongle Emperor (2 May 1360 – 12 August 1424), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Chengzu of Ming, personal name Zhu Di, was the third emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1402 to 1424. He was the fourth son of the Hongwu ...
period of the
Ming dynasty
The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...
. As it was the southern gate of the Imperial City, and in ancient China "south" was regarded as the most eminent direction, this gate enjoyed a status as "Gate of the Nation". The gate held great symbolic importance, as its name changed alongside the current ruling dynasty. In the Ming dynasty it was known as the "Great Ming Gate", and bore a set of engraved couplets "The Sun and Moon illuminate the virtues of Heaven; The Mountains and Rivers make magnificent the home of the Emperor." (「日月光天德,山河壯帝居。」). When the
Qing dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...
replaced the Ming, the gate's name was accordingly changed to the "Great Qing Gate" (;
Manchu
The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic peoples, Tungusic East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized Ethnic minorities in China, ethnic minority in China and the people from wh ...
: ''Daicing duka'') in 1644. After the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1912, the gate's name was changed to the "Gate of China". In 1952, with the expansion of
Tiananmen Square
Tiananmen Square or Tian'anmen Square () is a city square in the city center of Beijing, China, named after the Tiananmen ("''Gate of Heavenly Peace''") located to its north, which separates it from the Forbidden City. The square contains th ...
, consultants from the
Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
recommended demolishing the gate.
In 1954, the gate was demolished. In 1976, after the death of
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong pronounced ; traditionally Romanization of Chinese, romanised as Mao Tse-tung. (26December 18939September 1976) was a Chinese politician, revolutionary, and political theorist who founded the People's Republic of China (PRC) in ...
, a mausoleum was built for him on the site of the former gate.
Architecture

As the dividing point between the Imperial City and the commoners' city, the Gate of China was constructed to be formal and stately. The Great Qing Code prescribed that it was to have three gateways, flying eaves, a perfectly square
plaza
A town square (or public square, urban square, city square or simply square), also called a plaza or piazza, is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town or city, and which is used for community gatherings. Rela ...
before it, two lions on each side, and a "
dismounting stele" on each side (「大清門,三闕上爲飛簷崇脊,門前地正方,繞以石欄,左右獅各一,下馬石碑各一。」). It is similar in style to the Great Red Gate at the
Ming Dynasty Tombs
The Ming tombs are a collection of mausoleums built by the emperors of the Ming dynasty of China. The first Ming emperor's tomb is located near his capital Nanjing. However, the majority of the Ming tombs are located in a cluster near Beijing ...
and imperial tombs of the Qing dynasty.
In the Qing dynasty, the space between the Great Qing Gate and the
Zhengyang Men was a square plaza surrounded by a stone fence. During the
Ming dynasty
The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...
, this space had been a busy market place, called "Chessgrid Streets" because of the narrow alleys between stalls.
The Dismounting Steles outside the gate marked the place where officials must exit from their
sedan chair
The litter is a class of wheelless vehicles, a type of human-powered transport, for the transport of people. Smaller litters may take the form of open chairs or beds carried by two or more carriers, some being enclosed for protection from the el ...
s or dismount from horses.
Only the Emperor, Empress, and Empress Dowager were allowed to ride in
sedan chair
The litter is a class of wheelless vehicles, a type of human-powered transport, for the transport of people. Smaller litters may take the form of open chairs or beds carried by two or more carriers, some being enclosed for protection from the el ...
s through the gate. In the Qing dynasty, the Empress may only enter the
Forbidden City
The Forbidden City () is the Chinese Empire, imperial Chinese palace, palace complex in the center of the Imperial City, Beijing, Imperial City in Beijing, China. It was the residence of 24 Ming dynasty, Ming and Qing dynasty, Qing dynasty L ...
via the Great Qing Gate on the occasion of her wedding. All other concubines and consorts had to enter via the north gate, the
Gate of Divine Might
The Gate of Divine Might or Gate of Divine Prowess (, Manchu: ''šen u men'') is the northern gate of the Forbidden City in Beijing, China.
History
The gate was built in 1420, during the 18th year of Yongle Emperor's reign. The Gate was origin ...
.
Tablet
The main tablet hanging above the gate was carved out of stone, with the individual characters made of
Lapis lazuli
Lapis lazuli (; ), or lapis for short, is a deep-blue metamorphic rock used as a semi-precious stone that has been prized since antiquity for its intense color. Originating from the Persian word for the gem, ''lāžward'', lapis lazuli is ...
and fitted into the tablet. On October 9, 1912, the day before the one year anniversary of the
Xinhai Revolution
The 1911 Revolution, also known as the Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution, ended China's last imperial dynasty, the Qing dynasty, and led to the establishment of the Republic of China (ROC). The revolution was the culmination of a decade ...
, the
Republic of China
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
government decided to change the name to "China Gate" to celebrate the overthrow of imperial power. It was thought that they could simply take down the tablet, reverse it, and carve the new name on it. When the stone was taken down, however, they discovered that the inside was inscribed "Great Ming Gate": it seems the Qing artisans already thought of the idea two hundred years ago. Thus, a wooden tablet was quickly made, and the mayor of Beijing wrote the three characters 「中華門」 (Gate of China).
The original stone tablet is now in the Capital Museum in Beijing.
See also
*
*
Gate of China, Nanjing
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gate Of China (Beijing)
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
Tiananmen Square
Ming dynasty architecture
Qing dynasty architecture
Demolished buildings and structures in China
Buildings and structures demolished in 1954