Gate of Heavenly Purity

Forbidden City & Dongcheng Central


The Gate of Heavenly Purity was the main portal between the outer and inner courts of the Forbidden City. Note the pair of gilded bronze lions guarding the entrance. The building jutting out from the front east side of the gate was home to a Starbucks, briefly, until protests saw it closed down. (You can still get a latte inside, ironically.)


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