Doan Mon Gate – the southern gate of the Forbidden City (also known as Long Thanh or Long Phuong Thanh) – has a U-shaped structure facing inwards towards the Forbidden City, built of stone and brick. This was the residence of the king and the royal family, as well as the central workplace of the court.
The Thang Long citadel consisted of three concentric walls: the outer wall called La Thanh; the middle wall called Hoang Thanh; and the innermost wall called Cam Thanh. This is one of the most important remaining structures of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel.
Running from east to west, Doan Mon Gate is 46.5 meters long and has a three-tiered structure. The lowest tier of Doan Mon Gate is built in the style of ancient city walls with five arched gates that are almost perfectly symmetrical across the "sacred axis," also known as the "central axis" of the Imperial Citadel. There are five arched gates, with the central arch reserved exclusively for the king.
The magnificent scale of Doan Mon Gate reveals just how grand the Forbidden City once was. Above the central gate, a stone plaque bearing the two Chinese characters "Doan Mon" is still preserved, believed to date back to the Ly Dynasty.
The arched architecture of city gates not only provides graceful curves but also boasts exceptional load-bearing capacity. To this day, even the most modern and magnificent tunnel structures in the world still utilize this architectural style.
The second floor was built in the style of a watchtower, with a system of doors opening in all directions. However, this architecture has been renovated and its shape has changed considerably compared to its original form.
The second floor is spacious, covered with grass and large trees with trunks as thick as an adult's arm. The watchtowers connect to each other like an open labyrinth.
Above the central gate of the second floor are three embossed Chinese characters: "Wu Men Lou" (Five Gates Tower). Because of these three characters, many people still commonly refer to Duanmen Gate as Wu Men Lou. This was the place where the emperor would visit to encourage soldiers before battle, welcome victorious generals and soldiers, or watch martial arts performances and folk games in the courtyard below.
The third floor was built in the style of a two-tiered, eight-roofed gazebo, with the roof corners decorated with coiled dragon motifs.
Similar to the second floor, the third floor was later restored, and its architecture has undergone many changes compared to the original. However, the ancient architectural features have been carefully preserved.
The area around Doan Mon Gate (during the period 1802 - 1882) was associated with Long Thien Palace and the Northern Citadel royal palace of the Nguyen Dynasty. On October 10, 1954, a historic flag-raising ceremony took place on the Flagpole Square in front of Doan Mon Gate, marking a significant step in the process of national liberation.
Overall, this architectural style results in a U-shaped city gate structure facing towards the imperial court, standing in an extremely stable position. It signifies "convergence" towards the imperial court.
A side gate to the left of Doan Mon Gate.
Patterns on the city walls.
Behind the Đoan Môn gate, in 1999, archaeologists excavated an 85.2m2 trench to search for traces of the ancient Imperial Road. Today, this tunnel is open to the elements for tourists to visit.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/van-hoa/kham-pha-doan-mon-cong-thanh-co-kinh-lon-nhat-hoang-thanh-thang-long-xua-20220515084051059.htm
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