Gate of Celestial Purity (Qianqingmen)

View a tour plan to Tian'an men Square and Forbidden City

Separated from the Outer Court by a wide piazza (200 metres east to west and 30 metres north to south) stands Qianqingmen, The Gate of Celestial Purity. This open space provides a link between the Outer and Inner Courts while creating a dramatic setting for imperial pageantry.

During the Qing dynasty the emperor would be enthroned under the centre of this gate for the purpose of receiving reports and giving his decisions on matters presented to him. Small buildings on either side were duty rooms for officials and waiting rooms to accommodate ministers awaiting interviews, etc.

Against the red wall beside gate there are ten huge gleaming, gilded bronze vats. Although these are decorative, their prime function was to contain the vast amounts of water necessary to fight any outbreak of fire in the many timber buildings. Each of these vats weighs four tons and would contain over two hundred gallons of water. There is a total of three hundred and eight vats spread around the Forbidden City, twenty-two of which are of the same design as those seen by this gate.

View a tour plan to Tian'an men Square and Forbidden City

Palace of Terrestrial Tranquility

The Meridian Gate

The Hall of Supreme Harmony

The Hall of Central Harmony

Hall of Preserved Harmony

Huge Stone Carving

Palace of Celestial Purity

Gate of Supreme Harmony

Hall of Mental Cultivation

The Exhibition Halls

Six Western Palaces

Hall for Ancestry Worship

Six Eastern Palaces

Nine Dragon Screen

Palace of Tranquil Longevity

Hall of Joyful Longevity

Imperial Garden in Forbidden City

Hall of Celestial and Terrestrial Union