Yongdingmen Gate Tower in Beijing

Yongdingmen (永定门) is normally translated as " Yongding Gate" or "Yongdingmen Gate Tower".  Here "Yongding" means "Lasting Peace" and "men" literally means "Gate" or "Gate Tower".

So, the Central Axis of Beijing extends 7.8km from Yongdingmen Gate, passing through Zhengyang Gate, Tian'anmen Square; further from Forbidden City, Jingshan Hill through the Drum Tower and Bell Tower.

The Central Axis of Beijing is a classic model of ancient Chinese urban planning, a prominent position in the world history of urban planning and development. Besides, the emperors in ancient China believed that they were the center of the world, so all of their palaces should be built on the center of the axis across "the center" from south to north of Beijing.

The local government of Dongcheng District has been working hard to get the Beijing central axis recognized as a UNESCO world Cultural Heritage.

Virtual Tour of Yongdingmen Gate Tower

If you are going to walk along the Central Axis of Beijing, the southern tip of Yongdingmen Gate is definitely worth your visiting for a while to view this magnificent Yongdingmen Tower.

There are two large squares - South Square ( South of Yongdingmen Tower) and North Square ( north of Yongdingmen Tower ).  The South Square spans the bridge over the south second ring road.

Yongdingmen Gate Tower is 24 meters and 34 meters high. Have a close look at the two lions standing in front of the tower.

The South Square spans the bridge over the second ring road and the old city moat.

North of Yongdingmen Gate is a 1000 meters long park flanked by two most prominent old buildings  - Temple of Heaven.

The old imperial path is well kept under transparent glass

How to get to Yongdingmen Tower?

Tip: Hassle-free Beijing Guided Tours

If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours,  here are some options for guided tours to Beijing:

Further Readings