Imagine standing here long ago. No cars. No skyscrapers. Just the imposing Northeast Gate. This gate was a crucial part of Beijing’s defense. It stood as a testament to the city’s rich history.
The Beijing city fortifications were a series of walls. These walls had towers and gates. They were constructed in the early 1400s. Sadly, they were partially demolished in 1965. This demolition was for the construction of the 2nd Ring Road and Line 2 of the Beijing Subway.
The original walls were preserved in the southeastern part of the city. This was just south of the Beijing railway station. The entire perimeter of the Inner and Outer city walls stretched for approximately 60 kilometers. That is about 37 miles.
Beijing served as the capital for several dynasties. These included the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. It also served as a secondary capital for the Liao and Jin dynasties. The city needed an extensive fortification system. This system protected the Forbidden City. It also protected the Imperial City, the Inner city, and the Outer city.
These fortifications included gate towers and gates. There were also archways and watchtowers. Barbicans and barbican towers further strengthened defenses. Sluice gates and enemy sighting towers added layers of protection. Corner guard towers and a moat system completed the fortifications. It was the most extensive defense system in Imperial China.
After the Qing dynasty collapsed in 1911, Beijing’s fortifications were gradually dismantled. Today, the Forbidden City remains largely intact. It has become the Palace Museum. Some fortifications remain, including Tiananmen. The gate tower and watchtower at Zhengyangmen still stand. The watchtower at Deshengmen also remains. So does the southeastern corner guard tower. A section of the Inner city wall near Chongwenmen forms the Ming City Wall Relics Park.
The city of Dadu predates Beijing. It was built in 1264 by the Yuan dynasty. Dadu had 11 city gates. In August 1368, General Xu Da of the Ming dynasty captured the city. He decided Dadu’s fortification system was too large to defend. He ordered the city’s northern walls rebuilt. They were moved 2.8 kilometers south.
In 1403, Zhu Di changed the city’s name. Beiping became Beijing. In 1406, he began planning to move his capital from Nanjing to Beijing. Extensive expansion and reconstruction were needed. This would meet the defense requirements of the new capital. It had to withstand Mongol incursions.
The Inner city walls of Beijing used the city walls of Dadu as their foundation. In 1368, General Xu Da directed the construction of a second city wall. It was made of rammed earth south of the original northern city wall. In 1372, the original northern city wall was dismantled. The materials reinforced the new wall.
The walls of the Inner city had a perimeter of 24 kilometers. It was roughly square. The northwestern section lacked a vertex. According to Chinese mythology, this was because “the heavens were missing in the northwest”.
Beijing’s Inner city came under siege many times. However, all but the Eight-Nations Alliance were successfully defended against. After the Qing dynasty collapsed in 1911, barbicans were dismantled. This improved traffic flow.
The Inner city wall had nine gates. These gates sat atop rectangular platforms. Each gate entrance had two giant red wooden gates. When closed, they were locked with giant wooden beams.
The Outer city was expanded in 1553. The walls were 7.5 to 8 metres high. The southeastern corner was built on the diagonal. This avoided low swamps. The Outer city walls had a perimeter of approximately 28 kilometers. The entire enclosure formed a “” shape with a perimeter of 60 kilometers.
Today, very little remains of the Northeast Gate. Yet its story echoes. It reminds us of Beijing’s enduring strength. The Northeast Gate stood as a silent guardian. It witnessed centuries of change. Its legacy lives on. It is woven into the very fabric of this amazing city.