There are six gates in the Summer Palace, which can be divided into three groups: one civil and one military, one east and one west, one high and one low.
One article: Wenchang Pavilion. It was built in the 15th year of Qianlong (1750). It was burned down by the British and French forces in 1860 and rebuilt during the Guangxu period. The two-story main pavilion houses bronze statues of Emperor Wenchang and Fairy Tong. Wenchang Pavilion and the Suyunyan Chengguan on the west side of Wanshou Mountain, which is dedicated to the martial saint, symbolize "civil and military assistants".
Yiwu: Suyun Yanchengguan. It was built during the Qianlong period and is also known as "Bei Que". The original tower on the city housed a silver statue of Guan Yu. In 1860, the statue was looted by the British and French forces and the tower was burned. It was rebuilt during the Guangxu period and turned into a pavilion-style building with a memorial tablet for Emperor Guan inside. The city faces Kunming Lake to the west and Wanshou Mountain to the east. The lakes and mountains set off its majesty.
Yidong: Yinhui Chengguan. It was built during the Qianlong period. It is the land pass on the east side of Suzhou Street. The word "Yin Hui" is engraved on the stone forehead on the east side of the city gate, and the two words "Yishuang" are engraved on the west side. This pass echoes the "Tongyun" city pass on land in the west of Suzhou Street.
One West: Tongyun City Pass. Built on the hillside on the north bank of the cruise pier in the west of Suzhou Street, it is a very small city gate with pavilion-style buildings, high cornices, exquisite brick carvings, and battlements surrounding the pavilion. The existing fence prevents tourists from getting close to the city gate.
One low: Purple air comes from the east to Chengguan. It is located on the road from the east gate of the Summer Palace to the Garden of Harmony. It was built during the Qianlong period. The four characters "Ziqi comes from the east" are engraved on the south side of the city gate, and the four characters "Chicheng Xiaqi" are engraved on the west side. The origin of "Zi Qi Dong" comes from the allusion of Lao Tzu's departure from Xiguan. When Yin Xi, the commander-in-chief of Hangu Pass, saw Zi Qi coming from the east, Lao Tzu rode a green ox and worshiped him as his disciple. He resigned and followed Lao Tzu westward along the Zhongnan Mountain Shenxian Road. After creating the Tao Te Ching, he turned into purple smoke and flew into the sky without a trace.
One high: Thousands of peaks and hundreds of greenery. This is the only city gate built on Wanshou Mountain. When the weather is fine, you can stand here and look far into the distance. You will see overlapping green mountains in the distance, tall green cypresses, and colorful clouds floating high above. It is a good place for viewing, so it is named "Thousands of Peaks and Hundreds of Greens". Legend has it that when Empress Dowager Cixi came here, she was also attracted by the scenery of lakes and mountains. However, when she heard that the village in the distance opposite was called "Liulangzhuang", her face immediately darkened. The accompanying eunuch guessed that "lang" and "wolf" have the same pronunciation, and Cixi was born in the year of sheep. This violated Cixi's taboo, so he quickly came up with a plan to build a city gate here and send troops to guard it to keep the wolf out. But this is just a legend. According to research, the four characters "Thousands of Peaks and Hundreds of Greens" are written by Emperor Qianlong himself.