Zhengyangmen Archery Tower

The archery tower is the southern part of the Zhengyangmen gate complex, the main entrance to the inner city of Beijing. It was raised in 1439, while the present building was put up after the fire of 1900, when its predecessor burned during the siege of the legation quarter. The massive base of grey brick is pierced by ninety-four embrasures for archers, and above it is set a wooden storey with a green tiled roof. The barbican that joined this tower to the gate tower was pulled down in 1915 when tram tracks were laid. Today the tower stands as a separate island between Tiananmen Square and the pedestrian street of Qianmen.

On the map