The sole surviving gate of the old town wall, Nánxūn Mén looks south out onto Nanmen Sq (南门广场, Nánmén Guǎngchǎng) from its position east of Nanxun Dongjie. The two viewing platforms were added in the 1970s, making a faithful duplication in miniature of Beijing's Gate of Heavenly Peace – Tian'anmen. Mao's portrait was added, to perfect the copy. Around and behind around the gate, locals gather to play chess and socialise.
Even the slogans on either platform echo (but are not identical to) those in the Chinese capital. The exact date of the construction of the gate is unknown, but it was toppled in the huge earthquake of 1739 and, after being rebuilt, was burned down in 1911 at the end of the Qing dynasty before being rebuilt in the Republican era. The square itself was created in 1953 by partly demolishing sections of the city wall attached to the gate.
