Gate of China, Beijing

It was situated on the central axis of Beijing, to the north of Zhengyang Gate, and south of Tiananmen.

The gate held great symbolic importance, as its name changed alongside the current ruling dynasty.

[3] In 1952, with the expansion of Tiananmen Square, consultants from the Soviet Union recommended demolishing the gate.

During the Ming dynasty, this space had been a busy market place, called "Chessgrid Streets" because of the narrow alleys between stalls.

When the stone was taken down, however, they discovered that the inside was inscribed "Great Ming Gate": it seems the Qing artisans already thought of the idea two hundred years ago.

Thus, a wooden tablet was quickly made, and the mayor of Beijing wrote the three characters 「中華門」 (Gate of China).

An imperial procession entering the Imperial City through the Great Qing Gate (later renamed the Gate of China) in 1902.
The gate viewed from Zhengyang Men. Visible behind the gate (to the north) are Tiananmen Gate and the Forbidden City.
The gate of China in the 1900s, viewed from Zhengyangmen Gate (Qianmen Gate), with Tiananmen Gate and the Forbidden City in the background.
The Gate of China in the Republican era, when the tablet read " Zhonghuamen ", written from right to left.
The Mausoleum of Mao Zedong built on the site of the Gate of China