Records, if my view be correct, would have measured about 50
common li in circuit (13 li and more from north to south, 11.64 from
east to west.") - H. C.]
Polo [and Odoric] again says that there were 12 gates - 3 to every side.
Both Gaubil and Martini also say that there were 12 gates. But I believe
that both are trusting to Marco. There are 9 gates in the present Tartar
city - viz. 3 on the south side and 2 on each of the other sides. The old
Chinese accounts say there were 11 gates in Taidu. (See Amyot, Mem.
II. 553.) I have in my plan, therefore, assumed that one gate on the east
and one on the west were obliterated in the reduction of the enceinte by
the Ming. But I must observe that Mr. Lockhart tells me he did not find
the traces of gates in those positions, whilst the 2 gates on the north
side of the old Mongol rampart are quite distinct, with the barbicans in
front, and the old Mongol bridge over the ditch still serving for the
public thoroughfare.[1]
["The Yuen shi as well as the Ch'ue keng lu, and other works of the
Yuen, agree in stating that the capital had eleven gates. They are
enumerated in the following order: Southern wall - (1) The gate direct
south (mid.) was called Li-cheng men; (2) the gate to the left (east),
Wen-ming men; (3) the gate to the right (west), Shun-ch'eng men.
Eastern wall - (4) The gate direct east (mid.), Ch'ung-jen men; (5) the
gate to the south-east, Ts'i-hua men; (6) the gate to the north-east,
Kuang-hi men. Western wall - (7) The gate direct west (mid.), Ho-i men;
(8) the gate to the south-west, P'ing-tse men; (9) the gate to the
north-west, Su-ts'ing men. Northern Wall - (10) The gate to the
north-west, K'ien-te men; (11) the gate to the north-east, An-chen
men." (Bretschneider, Peking, 13-14.) - H. C.]
When the Ming established themselves on the old Mongol site, population
seems to have gathered close about the southern wall, probably using
material from the remains of Yenking. This excrescence was inclosed by a
new wall in 1554, and was called the "Outer Town." It is what is called by
Europeans the Chinese City. Its western wall exhibits in the base
sculptured stones, which seem to have belonged to the old palace of
Yenking. Some traces of Yenking still existed in Gaubil's time; the only
relic of it now pointed out is a pagoda outside of the Kwang-An-Man, or
western gate of the Outer City, marked in the War Office edition of the
Russian Map as "Tower." (Information from Dr. Lockhart.)
The "Great Palaces" over the gates and at the corner bastions are no doubt
well illustrated by the buildings which still occupy those positions.
There are two such lofty buildings at each of the gates of the modern
city, the outer one (shown on p. 376) forming an elevated redoubt.
