Meridian Gate

Welcome to the Meridian Gate, or Wu Men, the grand southern entrance to the Forbidden City in Beijing. As your scholarly guide, I invite you to pause and consider the immense political and cosmological significance of where we…

Look up at the superstructure of the gate. The five pavilions you see are the source of its nickname, the Five Phoenix Building. …

As you approach the base of the gate, you will notice three primary arched passages. These were governed by a strict protocol that reflected the social order of the empire. …

The unique concave shape of the Meridian Gate creates a grand, enclosed courtyard before you even enter the main palace grounds. This space was the stage for some of the most dramatic rituals in Chinese history. …

Once you pass through the Meridian Gate, you emerge into a vast square bisected by the Golden Water River, or Jinshui He. This inner canal is spanned by five exquisite marble bridges. …

To the west and east of the grand central axis lie two significant halls that represent the two pillars of imperial governance: the military and the literary. To the west is the Hall of Martial Valor (Wuying Dian). …

Our final section of the entrance complex brings us to the Gate of Heavenly Purity (Qianqing Men), which separates the 'Outer Court' (the public, ceremonial area) from the 'Inner Court' (the private living quarters of the Emperor…

As we conclude our exploration of the Meridian Gate, I hope you carry away a sense of the 'all-inclusiveness and greatness' that this architecture was meant to convey. We have walked the central path of emperors, contemplated the…