Xi'an City Wall: Changle Gate

Changle Gate, the official eastern gate of the Xi'an City Wall, is located slightly south of the middle of the eastern wall. It was built during the expansion of Xi'an Prefecture City from the seventh to the eleventh year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty (1374 to 1378) The gate was subsequently inherited through the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China. Today, Changle Gate retains its barbican, arrow tower, main tower, and double gateways. Additionally, three archways were opened on each side of the city gate to allow the passage of vehicles and pedestrians. In the sixteenth year of the Chongzhen reign of the Ming Dynasty (1643), when Li Zicheng's army attacked Xi'an, the main tower of Changle Gate was burned down. It is said that when Li Zicheng saw the 'Changle Gate' plaque hanging on the city gate, he said to his soldiers: 'If the emperor enjoys perpetual happiness, the people will have to suffer endlessly!' Upon hearing this, the soldiers were incensed and set fire to the tower. It was rebuilt during the Shunzhi period of the Qing Dynasty. Before the modern Xi'an Incident, Zhang Xueliang organized the Teaching Corps and the Student Soldiers Corps on the main tower of Changle Gate. Due to military defense needs, the tower underwent significant modifications. In 1994, the main tower of Changle Gate began a repair project, as the structure had severely tilted, the roof had collapsed, and there was extensive leakage. After the repairs, the main tower of Changle Gate was restored to its former Ming and Qing Dynasty state and serves as a memorial site for the Xi'an Incident on the Xi'an City Wall