Xiangmen Gate

Xiangmen Gate

Originally named Jiangmen (Artisans' Gate), it is located in the eastern part of the city and got its name from being a gathering place for various craftsmen. Legend has it that King Helü of Wu once ordered the master swordsmith Ganjiang to set up a furnace here to forge swords, hence it was also called Ganjiang Gate. The name later changed to "Xiangmen" due to phonetic evolution. The gate was filled in during the early Song Dynasty. It was reopened between the 23rd and 25th years of the Republic of China (1934–1936) but was demolished after the liberation.

On September 27, 2012, with the official completion of the Suzhou Ancient City Wall Conservation and Restoration Project, Xiangmen Gate regained new vitality. The ancient city wall section at Xiangmen stretches from Ganjiang Road in the south to Ou Garden in the north, with a newly built section of 370 meters, plus the preserved northern ruins, totaling nearly 650 meters in length. The base of the wall is 12 meters wide, the top is 9 meters wide, and the highest point of the gate tower reaches 23.8 meters. This massive structure has quite the “appetite”—a total of 400,000 bricks were used. Most of them were produced by the Lumu Imperial Kiln, and some were donated by local citizens. It is reported that the ancient bricks donated by citizens were used in the upper sections of the land-and-water gate, highlighting both the ancient charm of the wall and the special significance of public participation.

Address: East Ganjiang Road, Suzhou

Type: Historical Site

Recommended Visiting Time: 1–2 hours

Opening Hours:

Ancient city wall daily opening hours: 6:00–22:00; evening lighting time: 18:00–20:30

Ticket Information:

Free admission.