Forbidden City Chinese Gateway

Name: Meridian Gate (Wumen)

Location: At the complex of Forbidden City located at central Beijing, China Wumen in
Chinese, the Meridian Gate is the southern gate and the only entrance now to the
Forbidden City.

Period Built: Completed at the year of 1420, the Meridian Gate had been repaired for
two times in 1647 and 1801.

Meaning and Design

Chinese emperors believed that they were the Sons of Heaven and therefore
should live at the center of the universe. They believed the Meridian went through the
middle of the gate and built the entire Forbidden City symmetrically to this axis, and thus it
was named accordingly.

As the largest and most imposing gate to the Forbidden City, the Meridian
Gate has a height of 37.95 meters (124.5 feet). It has a concave layout with five towers
appearing like a flying phoenix, which also gives it another name ‘Five-Phoenix Tower’
(Wufenglou). The central tower, with double roofs made of colored glazed tiles, is 60.05
meters (198 feet) in length and 25 meters (82 feet) in width. It is on a 12 meters’ (39 feet)
high red abutment, whose frontispiece has three doorways. On the east and west of the
central abutment, two corridor-like buildings extend southward, separately connecting
two towers with double spires on their ends. There are two smaller doors at the corners of
the flanking buildings.

The Meridian Gate is the usual place for the promulgation of the emperors’
rescripts. Besides, a number of special events, ceremonies and festival activities were
held here.

Name: Gate of Heavenly Purity (Qianqingmen)

Location: Also named Gate of Celestial Purity or Qianqingmen, the Gate of Heavenly
Purity is on the central axis divides the Forbidden City into two parts, the Outer Court and
the Inner Court, therefore, serving as the main entrance to the imperial household.

Period Built: The Gate of Heavenly Purity was established in 1420 and rebuilt in 1655.

Meaning and Design:

The experts in the Palace Museum stated that in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) the
imperial family deterred the courtiers' entrance into the inner court and vice versa
(prohibiting women's interference into state affairs). These two lions with flipperty-
flopperty ears alarm the Inner Court concubines and court ladies that they'd better care
about the government affairs in the Outer Court as little as possible.

Name: Gate of Supreme Harmony (Taihemen)

Location: Behind the Meridian Gate, one can see five bridges with a square beyond.
Occupying the centre of the northern side of this square is the Gate of Supreme Harmony
(Taihemen).

Period Built: Built during the Yongle reign (1403-1424) of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), it
was first named Gate of Venerating Heaven (Fengtian men).

Meaning and Design:

Gate of Supreme Harmony, north of the square, is the main gate of the Outer
Court and which is fairly grand. It is guarded by two bronze lions. These symbolise imperial
power. The lion on the east side is male. Its right front paw is placed on a globe denoting
that imperial power extended world-wide. The lioness on the west side has its left front
paw on a lion cub. This denotes a thriving and prosperous imperial family.
It is important as it was here that the emperors' wedding ceremonies were usually held.
Here to, in the October of the first year under Shunzhi reign of the Qing dynasty, Emperor
Shunzhi announced an Act of Grace.