Zhenyang Gate is the southern entrance of Penglai Water City, facing north to south, constructed in the ninth year of the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty. The gate tower has long since collapsed, leaving only the gate arch. Restored in 1987, the arch has a width of 3 meters, a height of 5.3 meters, and a depth of 13.75 meters. Above the gate arch, an inscribed plaque reads ‘Zhenyang Gate’, with characters written by Wu Zuoren. The gate tower features a two-story pavilion with an exterior appearance of three eaves, commonly known as ‘three drops’. The roof is gabled, covered with colored glaze tiles, with six mythical creatures placed along the ridge, and wind chimes hanging from the corners of the eaves. Surrounding the gate tower are bright corridors; the first floor level is at the same height as the city wall, with battlements on the outer sides of the north and south bright corridors, and the second floor has double eaves. Wooden railings encircle the columns of the bright corridors. Approximately 50 meters of city walls on both sides of Zhenyang Gate have been restored, and a 5,000 square meter square has been built in front of the gate. Since 1989, the opening ceremony of the annual Penglai Economic and Trade Consultative Meeting has been held here. The World Tourism Day Dengzhou Ancient City celebration in 1991 also held its welcoming ceremony here. The gate is open all year round, accessible 24 hours a day, with specific operating conditions subject to the gate’s daily opening status.
