“Zhengyangmen Made of Red Sandalwood and Ebony” Debuted to Reproduce the Capital’s Traditional Cityscape

On May 6, a scale model of Zhengyangmen made of red sandalwood and ebony debuted at the square of the China Red Sandalwood Museum, the production of which was supervised by the museum’s director Mrs. Chan Laiwa. The 1:10 replica, consisting of the gate house proper, an archery tower and a large barbican which has two sluice gate towers attached to itself, is 18 meters long along the north-south axis, 17.2 meters wide and 5 meters high. The debut ceremony was graced by Mrs. Chan Laiwa, director of the China Red Sandalwood Museum, Mr. Shan Jixiang, director of the Palace Museum, Mr. Yan Chongnian, an expert on the history of Qing Dynasty, Mr. Chiu Yung, chairman of Fu Wah Group and Mr. Chi Chungsui, chairman of Beijing Red Sandalwood Culture Foundation.

The exhibition signaled the conclusion of the project “Reproducing Old Beijing City Gates” led by the China Red Sandalwood Museum.

The old city of Beijing was a masterpiece of the ancient cities of the human race. “City” is regarded as an embodiment of the Chinese nation and a cultural symbol of Chinese architecture, which has captured the imagination of many Chinese at home and abroad. As the saying goes, "Inner city nine gates, Outer city seven gates, Imperial city four gates”, there are nine gates to the inner city, seven gates to the outer city and four gates to the imperial city. Regrettably, nearly all the gates have been demolished, with the exception of only two or three towers left to attest to its past glory. In order that people could revisit the ancient cityscape of the capital, Mrs. Chan Laiwa, director of the China Red Sandalwood Museum, managed to select nearly a hundred craftsmen from the museum’s production center to construct a miniature of old city gates of the capital with precious materials like red sandalwood and ebony, aiming to restore the aura of the ancient Beijing cityscape. A consummate combination of the engraving art of red sandalwood and the art of traditional Chinese architecture, these city towers are veritably three-dimensional drawing models of old Beijing city towers for the country and for later generations to behold and remember.

Zhengyangmen, with a colloquial name Qianmen, is one of the “Qiansanmen (three front portals)” along with Chongwenmen and Xuanwumen. During the Yuan and Ming dynasties, Zhengyangmen served as the main entrance. After the construction of the outer city, however, it turned into the main entrance to the inner city. In Yuan Dynasty Zhengyangmen was named Lizhengmen, meaning "beautiful portal", and renamed “Zhengyang” in Ming. In early Ming Dynasty when the south city was moved southward it was still called “Lizhengmen” but changed into “Zhengyangmen” later to indicate its position at the central north-south axis of Beijing where the national gate is situated. Among all the inner city gates only Zhengyangmen has a gate opening for the emperor to pass into and out of the city. The barbican gate has a Guanyin Temple and an Emperor Guan Temple while other inner city gates have only one temple respectively, hence the saying “ten temples to nine city gates”.

The “Zhengyangmen Made of Red Sandalwood and Ebony” is a 1:10 replica of the original gate complex. Beams, dougongs (interlocking wooden brackets), wooden fitments and other wooden components are made of red sandalwood while brick components and tiling are of ebony; the entire work is a production of traditional engraving handicraft strictly following the construction rules of traditional Chinese architecture, with accurate and exquisite flower pattern details.

Currently the China Red Sandalwood Museum has completed the “Inner city nine gates, Outer city seven gates”, including Zhengyangmen, Chongwenmen, Xuanwumen, Chaoyangmen, Fuchengmen, Andingmen, Deshengmen, Dongzhimen, XIzhimen, Yongdingmen, Guangqumen, Guang’anmen, Zuo’anmen, You’anmen, Dongbianmen and Xibianmen. These sixteen city gates become an epitome of the history, architecture, craftsmanship and culture of old Beijing, perfectly representing the original old Beijing city gates and refreshing people’s memory of the splendor of the ancient capital.