Linhan Gate

Linhan Gate

Linhan Gate is the best-preserved and most magnificent gate of Xiangyang City. It is one of the six major gates of Xiangyang and is also known as the Small North Gate. Located in the ancient city of Xiangyang, Hubei Province today, it has been praised as a "strategic pass of the Han and Mian Rivers" and the "key to the northern gate." The gate tower of the Small North Gate is built atop an arched gate passage. The tower features four pillars and three bays, a double-eave hip-and-gable roof, a seven-rafter lifted-beam frame, and is constructed with a brick-and-wood structure, dating back to the Qing Dynasty. The Small North Gate tower embodies the robust and solemn style of northern architecture while also incorporating the dynamic and elegant charm of southern craftsmanship. Its roof finials and decorative elements mostly utilize traditional local Xiangyang craftsmanship. The base of the tower is 13.75 meters long and 22.6 meters wide, with crenellated walls on the exterior and parapet walls inside. A ramp for ascending the wall is located on the western side of the base.

Today, on the city walls around Linhan Gate in Xiangyang, you can still find bricks stamped with the character “岳” (Yue). These bricks are approximately 37 cm in height, 18 cm in width, and 6 cm in thickness (the shape is not entirely uniform), with each stamped character about 5 cm square. The bricks are filled with a mixture of lime and glutinous rice paste. This indicates that the walls of Xiangyang City began to be bricked during the Song Dynasty.

In the 14th year of the Chongzhen era (1641), when Zhang Xianzhong led the rebel army to capture Xiangyang, the crenellations and gate towers were destroyed. In the 5th year of the Shunzhi era of the Qing Dynasty (1648), Tongzhi Xu Tengmao and Zhang Zhong renovated the Small North Gate tower. In the 6th year of the Daoguang era (1826), Zhou Kai, the prefect of Xiangyang, renovated the Linhan Gate tower.

In ancient cities, gate towers were the tallest high-rise structures, forming the main skyline and outlining the entire city, becoming the most prominent and defining views. The image of the gate tower almost became the impression people had of the city in ancient times. The Small North Gate tower of Xiangyang, weathered through time and embodying both northern and southern styles, remains intact to this day and has become a symbol of the ancient city.

Nowadays, the Small North Gate is an important destination for tourism in the ancient city of Xiangyang. To its east is the Great North Gate (Gongchen Gate), to its west is Lady City, and to its south are Beijie Street and Zhaoming Terrace. It is an integral part of Xiangyang City.

Location: Southern bank of the Han River, Xiangyang District, Xiangyang City, Hubei Province