The Gate of Divine Might or Gate of Divine Prowess (Chinese: 神武门; pinyin: Shénwǔmén) is the northern gate of the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. It faces Jingshan Park. A tablet above the doorway reads "The Palace Museum" in Chinese.
The Gate was originally named The Black Tortoise Gate (Chinese: 玄武门; pinyin: Xuánwǔmén), this being the traditional name for the northern gate of a Chinese Imperial Palace. However when the Kangxi Emperor, whose birth name was Xuanye (玄燁), ascended to the throne, the word Xuán (玄) became a sacred taboo. The character "Xuán" (玄) also has the meaning of "sacred mystery", which correlates well with the new character "Shén" (神), meaning "divine".
Coordinates: 39°55′15.4″N 116°23′25.5″E / 39.920944°N 116.390417°E / 39.920944; 116.390417
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Famous quotes containing the words gate and/or divine:
“What heaven-entreated heart is this
Stands trembling at the gate of bliss;
Holds fast the door, yet dares not venture
Fairly to open it and enter?
Whose definition is a doubt
‘Twixt life and death, ‘twixt in and out?”
—Richard Crashaw (1613?–1649)
“Accept the place the divine providence has found for you, the society of your contemporaries, the connection of events.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)