Qianmen Gate
We headed back out to Tian'anmen Square again at daylight. This time, we had smog in our faces.
Zhengyangmen, or Qianmen, at the southern end of Tian'anmen Square.
Self explanatory.
Old Beijing is actually huge, encompassing both an Outer City and Inner City. And Zhengyangmen, or Qianmen as it is popularly known, is the main gate to the Inner City. Both cities had high walls surrounding them for defense.
Briskwalking, anyone?
In addition to these walls, both the Inner and Outer Cities had a combined total of sixteen gates, each serving a specific purpose of allowing the entry and exit of items such as food and livestock, water, building materials, coal for fire and cooking, condemned criminals for execution, commoners, city administrators to court dignitaries and pub-crawlers. Interesting too was the dedication of two gates at the top of the Inner City, Deshengmen and Andingmen respectively, for the exit and entry of troops from battle.
Qianmen, or Zhengyangmen, was the only gate used by the Emperors of old to enter and exit the Imperial Palace. Forbidden for use by commoners and even the city administrators, a colorful procession comprising the Emperor and his entourage of officials and eunuchs, would make their way out of the Imperial City, down Tian'anmen Square, to the Outer City twice a year.
Qianmen, or Zhengyangmen, was the only gate used by the Emperors of old to enter and exit the Imperial Palace. Forbidden for use by commoners and even the city administrators, a colorful procession comprising the Emperor and his entourage of officials and eunuchs, would make their way out of the Imperial City, down Tian'anmen Square, to the Outer City twice a year.
A new definition of insignificance.After Chairman Mao took power, the walls of both cities were demolished in the 1950s to make way for urban development and roads.
The portion of Tian'anmen Square before Mao's Mausoleum to the extreme right.
It took me about five minutes to brisk Tian'anmen Square right up the the gates of The Forbidden City.
Mao's Mausoleum under restoration.
Viewed from the tower at Qianmen, we could see that Mao's Mausoleum was undergoing restoration ahead of the Beijing Olympics. I didn't get to see the man himself that day, in all his preserved glory.
Viewed from the tower at Qianmen, we could see that Mao's Mausoleum was undergoing restoration ahead of the Beijing Olympics. I didn't get to see the man himself that day, in all his preserved glory.
posted by Teutoburg @ 12:27 PM
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