The Zhengyang Gate is located in the central south of Tian'anmen Square in Beijing.
The gate, commonly known as theFront Gate(Qianmen), was the front gate of the inner city of Beijing during the Ming (1368-1644)-Qing (1644-1911) period. It comprises two parts: the city gate tower and watchtower. Built in 1421 during the Ming Dynasty, the gate is 42 meters high and seven bays wide. It has a double-eaved gable and hip roof covered with gray, semicircular tiles and a tall, solid base. The watchtower was built in 1439 during the Ming Dynasty in a style resembling that of the city gate tower. Altogether there are 82 embrasures open to the east, west and south sides. The Zhengyang Gate was burnt down in 1900 when the Eight Allied Forcesinvaded and occupied Beijing, but it was later restored. A small town was built outside the gate for defense purposes, and was demolished and rebuilt in 1916. TheZhengyang Gate underwent two large-scale renovations in 1952 and 1976.
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