A crumbling stone tablet whispers tales of emperors. This is Heshun Gate. It stood tall for centuries. The Gate of China it was once called. A grand ceremonial gateway. Not a defensive structure like Zhengyang Gate or Tiananmen. This was different. It marked the southern entrance to the Imperial City during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Heshun Gate held immense symbolic power. Its name reflected the reigning dynasty. Under the Ming it was the Great Ming Gate. Elegant couplets adorned it. They spoke of the Emperor’s virtues and the splendor of his home. The Qing dynasty renamed it the Great Qing Gate in 1644. Then after the fall of the Qing in 1912 it became the Gate of China.
The gate’s architecture was magnificent. Three gateways stood proud. Flying eaves added to the splendor. A perfect square plaza lay before it. Two majestic lions guarded each side. Dismounting steles stood nearby. These marked the point where officials had to leave their sedan chairs. Or dismount from their horses. Only the Emperor Empress and Empress Dowager could ride through. The Empress could only enter the Forbidden City through Heshun Gate on her wedding day.
An interesting detail about Heshun Gate lies in its main tablet. This tablet was of stone. Characters made of Lapis Lazuli were fitted into the stone. When the name changed to the Gate of China in 1912 they initially planned to reuse it. They simply wanted to reverse the tablet and carve a new name. But they discovered something remarkable. The inside was already inscribed Great Ming Gate. The Qing artisans had already anticipated this. A new wooden tablet was made.
Sadly Heshun Gate was demolished in 1954. The expansion of Tiananmen Square led to its destruction. Soviet Union consultants recommended its removal. Later a mausoleum for Mao Zedong was built on its site. Yet the memory of Heshun Gate remains. A reminder of imperial grandeur and a forgotten chapter in Beijing’s history. Its story lives on in our memories.