Xihuamen is located in the Forbidden City at No. 4 Jingshanqian Street, Dongcheng District. It is on the east side of the intersection of Xihuamen Street and Nanchang Street. Opposite Donghuamen, it is the west gate of the Forbidden City. There is a tower on the platform of Xihuamen, with yellow glazed tiles on the top of the veranda and double eaves. The tower is 5 rooms wide and 3 rooms deep. It is used to store cotton armor and ingot-nailed armor used in military parades. The original Xihua Gate plaque was written in Manchu, Mongolian and Chinese characters. After the Revolution of 1911, only the bronze Chinese characters remained. Exiting Xihua Gate is Beihai Park. Emperors and empresses of the Qing Dynasty often left through this gate when they visited Xiyuan and other gardens in the western suburbs. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, when the Eight-Power Allied Forces attacked Beijing, Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu escaped from the palace through Xihua Gate. However, the Xihua Gate is not open now. When visiting the Forbidden City, you can only enter through the Meridian Gate. After the tour, you need to exit through the Donghua Gate or Shenwu Gate.
Telephone
010-85007422
Reference when using
Less than 1 hour
transportation
Bus: Take No. 5 and get off at Xihuamen and walk 214 meters to get there
Tickets
Please consult the scenic spot for specific details.
Opening hours
Depending on the opening hours of the Palace Museum