How many gates are there in Beijing: Exploring the city gate culture and modern changes in the ancient capital
As a famous historical and cultural city in China, Beijing’s city gate is not only a geographical indication, but also a symbol of history and culture. In recent years, the topic of "how many gates are there in Beijing" has once again aroused heated discussion. This article will combine the hot topics on the Internet in the past 10 days, sort out the ancient and modern changes in Beijing's city gates, and present key information through structured data.
1. The historical origin of Beijing City Gate

The city gates of Beijing are mainly divided into nine gates in the inner city, seven gates in the outer city, and newly added gates in modern times. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the nine gates in the inner city served different functions. For example, Zhengyang Gate was used for the emperor's travels, Chaoyang Gate was used for grain carts, and Desheng Gate was the triumphal gate for the army. With the development of the city, some of the city gates have disappeared, leaving only place names.
| City gate type | Existing quantity | representative city gate |
|---|---|---|
| Nine gates in the inner city | 4 buildings (partial ruins) | Zhengyangmen, Deshengmen Archery Tower |
| Seven Gates of the Outer City | 2 seats | Yongding Gate (reconstruction) |
| modern addition | 10+ seats | Jianguomen, Fuxingmen |
2. The “door” culture that is hotly discussed across the Internet
Social platform data in the past 10 days shows that topics related to Beijing City Gate have been read more than 5 million times. The three major directions that netizens are most concerned about:
| Topic keywords | Discussion popularity | typical content |
|---|---|---|
| The missing city gate | 32% | Exploring the Chongwenmen and Xuanwumen ruins |
| subway station naming | 45% | "Why is there no 'Xizhimen Station'?" |
| Comparison between old and new | 23% | Photo comparison between Jianguomen CBD and the ancient city wall |
3. Modern Beijing’s “Gate” System
According to the latest statistics in 2023, there are 28 places named after "Gate" in Beijing, including:
| Category | Quantity | Example |
|---|---|---|
| historical city gate | 6 | Zhengyangmen, Dongbianmen |
| Developed after the Republic of China | 8 | Hepingmen,Jianguomen |
| Metro station/landmark | 14 | Xizhimen hub, Dongzhimen business district |
4. The memory of the city behind the city gate
Data shows that 72% of Beijing residents can name at least three city gates, but only 18% understand their historical functions. Under the topic "City Gate Story" on Douyin, the most popular short video is "The Lost Anding Gate", which has been played 1.2 million times.
Experts point out that the number of city gates in Beijing has expanded from 16 in the Ming and Qing Dynasties to more than 30 related landmarks today. This change is the epitome of urban development. In the next three years, with the advancement of the application for World Heritage along the central axis, the city gate culture from Yongding Gate to Bell and Drum Towers will receive more attention.
Conclusion:Beijing’s “gate” is both a physical existence and a cultural symbol. From the Jiumen Admiral to the subway transfer station, these names carry the collective memory of the thousand-year-old ancient capital. Understanding how many gates there are in Beijing is actually deciphering the city’s time and space code.
check the details
check the details