Deshengmen Tower

Deshengmen is one of three surviving gates of the once nine gates of Beijing's Inner City. It stands at the northwestern stretch of the former wall in today's Xicheng district. Construction began in 1439 under the Ming emperor Zhengtong; the Qing dynasty extended the complex several times. The gate was used mainly for the ceremonial march-out of imperial troops - the name literally means Gate of Victory. Today only the arrow tower survives, a four-story brick structure with crenellations and rows of slit windows. The actual city gate was pulled down in the twentieth century and the Second Ring Road now passes directly past the tower. Inside is a small museum of ancient coins. Visitors arriving from the nearby Jishuitan metro station see the bulky silhouette from far away.