Deshengmen Arrow Tower

　　Introduction
　　The Deshengmen Arrow Tower is situated on the western side of the northern city wall of Beijing’s inner city, to the north of the western section of the Second Ring Road, in Xicheng District. It covers an area of 3,600 square meters. It is a cultural relic protection unit in Beijing. Deshengmen was one of the nine gates of Beijing’s inner city. Originally, it had structures such as a gatehouse, an arrow tower, and a barbican, but today only the arrow tower remains standing alone. The arrow tower majestically stands atop a tall brick-and-stone city wall. The wall platform is 12.6 meters high, and the wall is slightly tapered, measuring about 39.5 meters wide from east to west. The arrow tower faces south and features a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof with grey tubular tiles and green trimmed edges. Its overhead plan is shaped like an inverted “convex” character, combining the front tower and rear hall as one. Three lintel-style gates open to the south. The north-facing part of the tower has a facade seven bays wide, spanning 34 meters from east to west and 12 meters from north to south. The southern wing room is five bays wide, measuring 25 meters from east to west and 7.6 meters from north to south. The tower is 19.6 meters high. There are four levels in total, and 82 arrow slits — 48 on the north side, and 17 on each of the east and west sides — which served as firing ports for city defense. In 1982, the Deshengmen Arrow Tower Cultural Relics Protection Office was established here, and historical exhibitions about Deshengmen and the Beijing region were displayed on the second, third, and fourth floors. The second-floor exhibition room is titled “Introduction to Deshengmen.” The third and fourth floors introduce the historical development of Beijing from ancient times through dynasties such as the Xia, Shang, Zhou, and Qin, along with numerous cultural relics and historic sites. Located inside the barbican of the Deshengmen Arrow Tower is the Zhenwu Temple, which houses a year-round professional coin museum in Beijing. The museum displays nearly a thousand coins from various Chinese dynasties, each reflecting the politics, economy, and social changes of its time. It also serves as an ideal venue for coin enthusiasts to conduct research, exchange ideas, and collect. Transportation
　　Take bus lines 5, 14, 27, 55, 44, 315, 380, or 345, or take the subway to Deshengmen.

　　 Beijing Xicheng District

The Deshengmen Arrow Tower isAA-rated attraction

The Deshengmen Arrow Tower is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.