Beijing - City Center

The historic city center which dates from the Ming dynasty (14th-17th C) has largely preserved its original appearance. Traces of the medieval city which was divided into two parts can still be seen. It joined the four points of the compass and consisted of the northern city formerly known as the Tartar city which was laid out on a regular rectangular pattern. This section was defended by a 20km/12mi long wall with nine gates (two in the east, three in the south, and two in the west and north sides). The south city was surrounded by a 14km/9mi city wall with seven gates.

The two city walls were completely destroyed, but two of the old gates are preserved - the ''Qian Men'' behind Mao's Mausoleum and the ''Desheng Men'' in the north of the forbidden city.

After 1949 a permanent change in the appearance of the city took place. The majority of the city walls were demolished in the 1960s. Only parts of two town gates - the Qianmen south of the Mao Mausoleum and the Desheng Men in the north, a corner tower as well as the northern and southern town moats remain until today.