Frommer's Review
Built in 1420 and last restored in 1801, Wu Men is the actual entrance to the Forbidden City. The emperor would sit atop the gate to receive prisoners of war, flanked by a battalion of imperial guards clad in full battle armor. The prisoners, clad in chains and red cloth, kneeled in the courtyard while charges were read before the emperor confirmed they would be taken to the marketplace for execution. The order would be repeated first by two, then four, then eight officers, until the entire battalion was thundering the edict in unison. The watchtowers extending out either side of the gate (que) are an expression of imperial power. This style was prevalent during the Han dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 220); this is the only example from the Ming and Qing. The trees leading up to this gate are recent additions. Originally no trees were planted along the Imperial Way, stretching over 2km (1 1/4 miles) from Da Qing Men (now demolished) to Qianqing Men (Gate of Heavenly Purity) in the Inner Court, as according to the "five processes" (wu xing), wood (green) subdues earth (yellow), the element associated with the emperor (hence the yellow glazed tiles).
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