Gate of Divine Might

The Gate of Divine Might, the northern gate. The lower tablet reads "The Palace Museum" (故宫博物院)

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".

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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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