page_title: Beijing city fortifications
section_title: Fuchengmen
hierarchical_section_title: Beijing city fortifications / Inner city / Inner city gates / Fuchengmen
caption_attribution_description: 中文（中国大陆）‎: 北京阜成门城楼
context_page_description: The Beijing city fortifications were constructed from the early 1400s to the year 1553. The inner city's wall was 24 kilometres long and 15 metres high, with a thickness of 20 metres at ground level and 12 metres at the top, and had nine gates. The wall stood for nearly 530 years, but in 1965, it was removed to allow for construction of the 2nd Ring Road and Line 2 of the Beijing Subway. Only one part of the original wall still exists, just south of the Beijing railway station in the southeast portion of the city. The Outer city walls had a perimeter of approximately 28 kilometres. The entire enclosure of the Inner and Outer cities formed a "凸" shape with a perimeter of nearly 60 kilometres.
  Beijing was the capital for the majority of the last three Chinese imperial dynasties. It was also a secondary capital to two northern dynasties, and is therefore often referred to as an ancient capital of five dynasties. It had an extensive fortification system, consisting of the Forbidden City, the Imperial City, the Inner city, and the Outer city.
context_section_description: Fuchengmen (阜成門 lit. 'Gate of Abundant Success') was located at the midpoint of the Inner city western wall. Originally the site of the Pingzemen (平則門) gate of the Yuan era, it was still informally known as Pingzemen by the commoners even after its name was changed. The new name, "Fucheng", came from the classic Shàngshū, "六卿分职各率其属，以成九牧，阜成兆民". The gate was repaired in 1382 and completely rebuilt in 1435. Its gate tower and watchtower were similar to those at Chaoyangmen. The gate tower was 31.2 metres by 16 metres and 30 metres high. The barbican was 74 metres by 65 metres, with a sluice gate and an archway on its northern side. The Guandi temple was located on the northeastern corner of the barbican, facing south. The sluice gate tower and watchtower were dismantled in 1935. The barbican and watchtower platform were dismantled in 1953, and the gate tower in 1965.
  Due to its proximity to the Western Hills and the coal reserves at Mentougou District, carts carrying coal would enter the city through Fuchengmen. The barbican gate archway had an engraving of a plum flower (plum flower "梅 Mei" and coal "煤 Mei" are homophones in Chinese. Also, the plum trees near Fuchengmen blossom in spring, around the time when coal was no longer needed and deliveries ceased). This gives rise to the old Beijing saying: "Fucheng's plum blossoms announce the arrival of the new spring's warmth". Fuchengmen is also informally referred to as "惊门 Jingmen", meaning "Justice".
caption: Fuchengmen in 1930
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