The Gate of Western Flower in the Forbidden City

The Gate of Western Flower in the Forbidden City had similar function to the Gate of Eastern Flower. When the emperor and empress dowager visited imperial gardens, they would go out of the Imperial Palace from the Gate because the imperial gardens like West Garden and the Summer Pal-ace are located on the west of the Forbidden City.

In the 18th year of the Jiaqing reign (1813), when the believers of the Heavenly Order Religion attacked the Imperial Palace, they entered the Palace from the Gate of Western Flowers.

In the 7th year of the Guangxu reign(1881), the coffin of Empress Dowager Ci’an went out of the Imperial Palace from the Gate of Western Flower out of mysterious reason. The 11-year-old Guangxu emperor knelt beside the paved path outside the Gate, bidding farewell with tears to the benevolent and under-standing Empress Dowager in his heart. He was brought into the Imperial Palace by his aunt Empress Dowager Ci’xi when he was four year old and since then had been living on tenterhooks under the tight control of his aunt. Only the kind Empress Dowager Ci’an often encouraged and supported him, so that he could feel a trace of warmth in the Imperial Palace.

Relevant attractions in the Forbidden City

Meridian Gate: the Gate with Five Phoenixes
Gate of Spiritual Valor
Gate of Eastern Flower
Gate of Western Flower
City Wall and Corner Tower
Moat
Golden Water River