Baoxiang Gate

Baoxiang Gate

Baoxiang Gate is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangsu Province.

Nanjing’s Zhonghua Gate is the largest existing ancient fortress in China. It was the main southern gate of the capital city during the early Ming Dynasty, originally called “Baoxiang Gate” and renamed Zhonghua Gate in 1931. It was expanded between the second and eighth years of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty (1369–1375 AD).

Zhonghua Gate is the largest and most magnificent of the thirteen gates in Nanjing’s city wall. Located in the southern part of Nanjing, it was rebuilt on the site of the former southern gate of the Southern Tang Dynasty capital. The entire barbican measures 128 meters from north to south and 118.5 meters from east to west, covering an area of 15,168 square meters. To its south is Yuhuatai, which serves as a natural barrier, while two branches of the Qinhuai River flow east-west in front of and behind the gate. It faces Changqian Bridge in the front and leans against Zhenhuai Bridge at the back. Its strategic location made it a vital transportation hub in the southern part of the city.

Zhonghua Gate has three barbicans connected by four arched gateways (vaulted gates). Each gate was equipped with a lifting portcullis and double wooden doors, but these no longer exist, leaving only the slots and the imprints where they once stood. Between the second and fourth arched gateways, there used to be wooden hoisting towers (also called gate towers, now gone), and on the inner walls at the southern end of the storage cave on the second level of the first arched gateway, a pair of hoisting stone pillars still remain.

The outer wall of the gate stands 20.45 meters high and is built entirely of massive stone blocks, except for the crenellations. The first gate is divided into three levels. The uppermost level originally had a three-eaved hip-and-gable turret used for observation. Historical records indicate that in 1520, during the southern tour of Emperor Wuzong of the Ming Dynasty, he watched various performances here on the first day of the Lunar New Year, reflecting the grandeur of the gate’s structure at the time. During the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty, the turret collapsed. Though it was later rebuilt with raised funds, its size was reduced. In 1937, the rebuilt turret was destroyed in the fires of the Japanese invasion of Nanjing.

Zhonghua Gate features a grand structure, complex layout, ingenious design, and unique craftsmanship. Its construction took 21 years and utilized massive stone blocks, large bricks, and a mixture of glutinous rice paste, lime, and tung oil for bonding. The bricks used in the wall are each about 40–50 cm long, 20 cm wide, and 10 cm thick, weighing 15–20 kg each. Producing such heavy bricks posed significant technical challenges. The bricks were manufactured by 125 counties across five provinces in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River—Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi, Anhui, and Jiangsu—as well as by the Nanjing Ministry of Works and the imperial garrison. After firing, they were transported to Nanjing via waterways.

Further Reading:

· First and Second Batch of Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units