Eight nails instead of nine. That’s the curious detail about the East Glorious Gate. Why eight? Because nine symbolized the Emperor. Eight represented the ghostly realm. This gate the East Glorious Gate a less auspicious number for a gate to the Forbidden City.
The East Glorious Gate stands before you. It’s one of the four grand entrances to the Forbidden City. Built in 1420 it’s a mirror image of its western counterpart. Both gates share an identical rectangular design. Each rests on a white marble base. Three vaulted passages pierce the structure. A square tower rises above a red platform. White marble columns surround the double roof. Five arches form the tower’s width three its depth.
Initially the East Glorious Gate’s name was inscribed in three languages Manchu Mongolian and Chinese. The Mongol inscription was later removed. After the 1919 revolution only Chinese remained. Since 1758 in the 23rd year of Emperor Qianlong’s reign the tower housed military parade uniforms.
Early in the Qing Dynasty only high-ranking officials could pass through the East Glorious Gate. Later even middle-ranking ministers gained this privilege. The gate earned a chilling nickname Guimen the Ghost Gate. This was because the coffins of emperors empresses and regents were also carried through this very gate.
Feel the history breathe around you. Imagine the hushed processions the whispered secrets the weight of centuries held within these walls. The East Glorious Gate silent witness to imperial power and the ebb and flow of dynasties. A single gate yet its story resonates with the heartbeat of a vast empire. The East Glorious Gate stands as a testament to a world long gone but vividly remembered.