Zhengyangmen

Zhengyangmen, popularly known as Qianmen or "Front Gate", was the principal gate of Beijing's inner city wall and marks the southern edge of Tiananmen Square. The 42-metre gate tower was built in 1421 when the Ming moved the capital here, and was rebuilt several times after fires, most recently in 1914 under Yuan Shikai. Only the gate itself survives outside; the matching archery tower Jianlou stands 100 metres to the south on its own island. The central arch was once reserved for the emperor and only used during ceremonies such as the imperial sacrifice at the Temple of Heaven. Visitors now climb stairs to the upper hall and look through the red wooden lattices onto Tiananmen Square, the Great Hall of the People and the Mao Mausoleum.