Why is Tiananmen called Tiananmen?

The origin of the name Tiananmen

1. Tiananmen was built in the 15th year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty (1417). It was originally named "Chengtianmen" and was built in complete imitation of Nanjing's Chengtianmen. Therefore, it was named Chengtianmen. It means "inheriting destiny and receiving orders from heaven". The designer was Kuai Xiang, a royal architect of the Ming Dynasty.

2. In the first year of Tomorrow Shun (1456), Chengtian Gate was struck by lightning and caught fire and was burned down. In the first year of Chenghua in the Ming Dynasty (1465), Bai Gui, the minister of the Ministry of Industry, presided over the reconstruction of Chengtian Gate designed and led by Kuai Xiang. The transformation from archway style to palace style also established the shape of Tiananmen today.

3. In the 17th year of Chongzhen in the Ming Dynasty (1644), Li Zicheng's army invaded Beijing and Chengtian Gate was destroyed again. Chengtianmen was rebuilt again the following year.

4. In the eighth year of Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty (1651), Fulin, the founder of the Qing Dynasty, ordered large-scale reconstruction on the ruins of the original site and renamed it "Tiananmen", which means "mandated by heaven to secure and govern the country" .

Extended information:

Historical evolution of Tiananmen Square

Tiananmen, formerly known as Chengtianmen, was built in the 15th year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty (1417).

It was renamed Tiananmen in the eighth year of Shunzhi (1651) of the Qing Dynasty. At this time, there was just a closed T-shaped palace square in front of Tiananmen Square. It was an important place for holding major celebrations and issuing decrees to the country during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It also represented the majesty of imperial power.

In the twenty-sixth year of Guangxu (1900), the Eight-Power Allied Forces invaded Beijing, and Tiananmen Square was regarded as a place for the invaders to station their troops and show off their strength.

In May of the third year of the Republic of China (1914), Zhu Qiqian of the Beiyang government launched a plan to transform the old capital. By demolishing the Thousand-Step Corridor in front of Tiananmen Square and constructing asphalt roads and barbicans, the originally closed palace square became an open space where one can freely walk and stay, and the majestic and mysterious imperial power was eliminated.

It is precisely because of Zhu Qiqian’s first transformation of Tiananmen Square that Tiananmen began to become a square in the modern sense.

Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia-Tiananmen Square