Donghua Gate in Nanjing

Donghua Gate in Nanjing

Donghua Gate in Nanjing

Donghua Gate in Nanjing is the only remaining gate of the Ming Dynasty imperial city in Nanjing today. For a long time, Donghua Gate was enclosed by the Nanjing Metallurgical Equipment Factory and turned into a garbage dump, making it completely unknown to the public. With the establishment of the Donghua Gate Heritage Park, everyone can now finally admire the grandeur of Donghua Gate.

Donghua Gate and Xi’an Gate are similar in size and structure, but the biggest difference is that the Sumeru pedestal of Donghua Gate is plain, without any carved scroll leaf patterns, giving it a simpler and more unadorned style. This truly reflects the order given by Zhu Yuanzhang at the time, which emphasized simplicity in palace construction. Both the northern and southern sides of Donghua Gate show clear signs of the city wall having been cut through. The ceremonial tower, Yifeng Tower, on top of the gate has long since disappeared, and the area previously suffered from severe damage. Now, Donghua Gate has been restored and opened to the public as the Donghua Gate Heritage Park. The innermost archway on its southern side still retains the Ming Dynasty road surface, and stone bases of the Yifeng Tower can be found on the gate tower roof, with clear remnants of corridor structures visible.