Xihe Gate is located in the central part of the outer court’s middle road, to the west of the Taihe Gate. It was originally built in the 18th year of the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty (1420) and was initially named Youshun Gate. In April of the 36th year of the Jiajing era (1557), it was destroyed by fire caused by the burning of the three main halls, and was reconstructed the following year. In September of the 41st year of the Jiajing era (1562), it was renamed to Guiji Gate.
In June of the 25th year of the Wanli era (1597), it was burned down again and reconstructed during the Tianqi era. In May of the 2nd year of the Shunzhi era (1645), it was renamed to Yonghe Gate, and in the 1st year of the Qianlong era (1736), it was changed to Xihe Gate to avoid the taboo of Emperor Yongzheng. In the 23rd year of the Qianlong era (1758), it was destroyed by fire for the third time and was reconstructed in December of the same year. Opening Hours: Open all year round, 24 hours a day.Xihe Gate
Xihe Gate is located in the central part of the outer court’s middle road, to the west of the Taihe […]
