The name comes from the Sky Gate Mountains (meaning “tianmen” in Chinese) which lie northwest of the city.

Prehistoric ancient settlements in the Tianmen area existed at least 7,000 to 8,000 years ago as evidenced by Shijiahe neolithic tribal ruins which include recent discoveries of stone (jade) devices, pottery, bone, mussels, as well as bronze articles and other artifacts, such as those in the original Tao Zu patrilineal cultural heritage period.

[3] In January 2008, more than 100 persons and city officials in Tianmen came under investigation after the fatal beating of a 41-year-old man, Wei Wenhua, general manager of a construction company, who was using his cellphone to photograph a dispute between villagers and city inspectors.

Within its territory is the Stone Age village site of Shijiahe, the largest Neolithic village site in the Yangtze River basin to date, the famous Buddhist temple Bai Long Temple built during the Southern Dynasties, well-preserved and majestic, and Lu Yu Pavilion, Wenxue Spring, Ancient Goose Bridge in memory of Lu Yu, as well as Zhong Xing's tomb, Tan Yuanchun's tomb, and the East Lake and West Lake scenic areas.

Hubei Province Tianmen Middle School is a nationally renowned provincial model high school, founded in 1912, located at the western end of Jingling Zhong Xing Avenue in Tianmen City, Hubei Province, the hometown of the Tea Saint Lu Yu.

It is a garden-style school in Hubei Province, a provincial model high school, an advanced collective in the national education system, an advanced unit in the construction of spiritual civilization nationwide, with a history of more than one hundred years.