Gate of Heavenly Purity

Gate of Heavenly Purity(Qianqing Men) is located behind Hall of Preserving Harmony in Forbidden City, Beijing. The gate was originally built in 1420 in Ming Dynasty, and then was rebuilt in 1655 in Qing Dynasty. In front of the Gate of Heavenly Purity, there is a quite long but narrow square. The square has a rectangular square. Longzong Gate is sited in the west of Gate of Heavenly Purity Square Silom sect west, and Jingyun Gate in the east. The Gate of Heavenly Purity separates the Forbidden City into the Outer and Inner Court. The northern side of the gate is called Inner Court, including the Palace of Heavenly Purity. It is the residential region inside the Forbidden City. The southern side of the gate is called Outer Court, including Hall of Central Harmony,Hall of Preserving Harmony, Hall of Supreme Harmony, Hall of Literary Glory and Hall of Military Prowess.

The structure of the Gate of Heavenly Purity

Gate of Heavenly Purity is Miankuo 5 wide, Miankuo 3 deep, about 16 meters high. It has a single Jehiel roofs, located in the white marble Xumi Zuo which is 1.5 meters high. There are carved stone railings around the gate. There are two mighty gilt bronze lions in both sides of gate. The lions, in the opinion of Chinese people, are extraordinary gate-guards which frighten devils away. There are three doors leading inside, which is located in the posterior of the gate.
There are black brick walls and square windows on the both side of the gate. Below the roof of the gate painted dragon and color painting painting. There are eight-shaped glass doors on both sides of the screen wall, 8 meters high, and 9.7 meters long. On the center and corner of the walls decorates glass flowers, which seems natural and vivid. The glass flowers are beautiful and bright under the sun. That makes the Gate of Heavenly Purity look gorgeous and splendid. There are elevated stand and roads which leads to the platform of Palace of Heavenly Purity. The gate is connected to the Jiuqingzhi Room in the left the military office in the right inside the gate.


The History Function of the Gate of Heavenly Purity

Gate of Heavenly Purity was the main entrance which leaded to the living areas of concubines, princes and other residential places, including inner three courts: Palace of Heavenly Purity, Palace of Union and Peace and Palace of Earthly Tranquility.

In the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Kangxi, the second heir, started to have court at this gate rather than the Gate of Supreme Harmony. Ministers used to gather outside the gate at dawn, statement the state affairs to the Kind and wait for the emperor's decision.

Traffic tips

You can go to the Gate of Heavenly Purity by NO.1, NO.4, NO.20, NO.52, NO.57 buese. You shold get off at Tiananmen Station, and then walk across the Tiananmen gate and the Meridian Gate (front gate). Or you can take NO.101, NO.103, NO.109 buses and then get off at the Imperial Palace Museum station.

The adjacent attraction spots
The Imperial Palace, Meridian Gate, Palace of Heavenly Purity, Palace of Earthly Tranquility, Gate of Devine Might,, Hall of Preserving Harmony, Hall of Central Harmony, Hall of Supreme Harmony, Imperial Garden.

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