Gateway of yesteryear
Print Edition
XUMEN Gate is one of the ancient land and water gates that once provided security to Suzhou’s walled city.
There is a famous saying in China that includes a reference to the “silver” Xumen Gate.
It is 7.2 meters high and formed by three stone archways. The gate was built in 514 BC. A few hundred years later, it was closed to provide relief from a serious flood threatening the city. The gate has been restored to become a major tourist attraction in the city.
Nowadays, Xumen Gate is popular as a place to visit during the annual Lantern Festival, when colorful lanterns festoon the area.
Naturally, folklore and history surround the gate’s past.
The gate is named after Wu Zixu, a famous general of the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), who is credited with designing the first urban layout of Suzhou as the capital city of the Wu Kingdom. His urban planning survived the test of time and remains basically unchanged today.
Legend has it that Wu lived near the gate and when he killed himself on the king’s orders, his head was hung on the gate. There is an imposing stone statue of Wu in the plaza near the gate, a lasting tribute to a man famous in Chinese history.
Like Panmen Gate, Xumen Gate is one of the two surviving old city gates in Suzhou.
Located on the south side of Wannian Bridge, it was officially recognized as cultural heritage in 1982.
Wannian Bridge, or Wannianqiao, is only a 30-minute walk from the gate. It dates back to 1740, when the need arose to link two busy commercial parts of the city. In English, the name means “Everlasting Bridge.”
It was constructed of purple stone during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) and is a well-preserved edifice with a smooth surface. There are more than 100 stone lion images chiseled on the stone fences on either side of the bridge.
There’s plenty of beautiful scenery along the bridge, especially when the dragon boats are out.
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