Zhonghua
Gate, means Chinese
gate, was the biggest
and most splendid city
gate of Nanjing city
wall in the Ming Dynasty
(1368-1644). The gate
was built from 1366 to
1386 and originally
named Gate of Gathering
Treasure, since legend
says in the
construction, the wall
collapsed again and
again before a Box of
Gathering Treasure was
buried under. The whole
structure was built with
huge bricks and special
cement made from lime,
tung oil and sticky rice
juice, extraordinarily
strong.
The delicately designed
gate has four archways,
and three trap cities
which were the enclosed
vacant lots between the
archways. On the gate,
there are 27 hiding
caves where more than
3,000 soldiers can
ambush in wartime. The
biggest one is 44.34
meters high, 6.84 meters
wide. Every archway has
a wooden gate, and in
addition an iron gate,
which would be put down
from top of the city in
case of the wooden one
was broken through. Then
those enemy soldiers
entrapped in the trap
city would be cleaned by
the ambush with ease. On
the top of the tower,
there used to be a
watchtower and other
structures. |