Originally named Jiangmen (Craftsman’s Gate), it is located in the east of the city. It got its name because it was once a place where various handicraftsmen lived. It is said that King Helü of Wu ordered the master swordsmith Gan Jiang to set up a furnace and forge swords here, so it was also called Gan Jiangmen. Later, it was called ‘Xiangmen’ due to a change in pronunciation. The gate was filled in at the beginning of the Song Dynasty. On September 27, 2012, with the official completion of the protection and restoration project of the ancient city wall of Suzhou, Xiangmen also radiated new charm. The ancient city wall section of Xiangmen starts from Ganjiang Road in the south and reaches Ouyuan in the north. The newly built section is 370 meters long. Together with the northern section of the ruins, the total length is nearly 650 meters. The bottom of the city wall is 12 meters wide, the top is 9 meters wide, and the highest part of the city tower reaches 23.8 meters. This huge building has a considerable ‘appetite’, with the usage of city bricks reaching 400,000. Most of them are produced by Lumu imperial kilns, and some are donated by citizens. It is reported that the ancient bricks donated by citizens are used for the construction of the upper part of the water and land city gates. Opening hours: Open all year round from 6:00 to 22:00.
Xiangmen
Originally named Jiangmen (Craftsman’s Gate), it is located in the east of the city. It got it[...]
