Deshengmen Arrow Tower

Deshengmen Arrow Tower

The Deshengmen Arrow Tower is a national AA-level tourist attraction and a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level.

Introduction

The Deshengmen Arrow Tower is situated on the western side of the northern wall of Beijing’s Inner City, north of the western section of the Second Ring Road, in Xicheng District. It covers an area of 3,600 square meters and is a protected cultural heritage site of Beijing. Deshengmen was one of the nine gates of Beijing’s Inner City. Originally, it had a gatehouse, an arrow tower, and a barbican, but now the barbican and gatehouse are gone, leaving only the arrow tower standing alone. The arrow tower stands proudly atop a tall brick-and-stone wall. The base platform is 12.6 meters high, and the walls are slightly tapered, measuring approximately 39.5 meters wide from east to west. The arrow tower faces south and features a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof with green-glazed trim and gray tubular tiles. Its overhead plan resembles an inverted “convex” character, combining the front tower and rear wing into one structure. Three lintel-style gateways open to the south. The northern section of the tower is seven bays wide, spanning 34 meters from east to west and 12 meters from north to south. The southern wing is five bays wide, 25 meters from east to west and 7.6 meters from north to south, with the tower reaching a height of 19.6 meters. The structure has four levels in total, featuring 82 arrow slits—48 on the north side, and 17 on each of the east and west sides—used for shooting at enemies during city defense. In 1982, the Deshengmen Arrow Tower Cultural Relics Protection Office was established here, and historical exhibitions about Deshengmen and the Beijing area were set up on the second, third, and fourth floors. The second-floor exhibition room is titled “Introduction to Deshengmen.” The third and fourth floors present the historical development of Beijing from ancient times through the dynasties of Xia, Shang, Zhou, Qin, and beyond, showcasing numerous cultural relics and historic sites. Inside the Zhenwu Temple located in the barbican of the Deshengmen Arrow Tower is a year-round professional coin museum in Beijing. The museum displays nearly a thousand coins from various Chinese dynasties, each reflecting the political, economic, and social changes of its time. It also serves as an ideal venue for research, exchange, and collection within the numismatic community.

Transportation

Bus routes 5, 14, 27, 55, 44, 315, 380, and 345, or take the subway to Deshengmen.

Address: No. 9, Deshengmen East Street, Xicheng District, Beijing

Type: Historical architecture and heritage site

Phone: 010-62051978

Opening Hours:

9:00-16:00

Ticket:

20 RMB

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Municipal-Level Protected Cultural Heritage Sites in Beijing

· Sixth Batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level