The Records of the Capital at Yan (《燕京记》), written by the Qing historian Gu Sen (顾森), read: "Of the seven outer city gates, the one facing east is called Guangningmen.

The gate is a strategic passage for ground traffic from the southern provinces and is of vital importance.

This ultimately resulted in the retreat of Chinese armies to the southern provinces, the fall of Beijing and Tianjing, and the Japanese occupation of the entire North China Plain later that year.

After the completion of Guang'an Avenue (广安大街), one of the main traffic arteries of modern Beijing, the area has become an important business district.

Line 7 of the Beijing Subway passes underneath Guang'an Avenue.