Xinhuamen, Government gate in Xicheng District, China

Xinhuamen is the main entrance to Zhongnanhai, featuring three gateway openings with traditional Qing Dynasty architectural details and stone barriers. The structure comprises multiple sequential gates and walls that create a layered boundary between the street and the compound beyond.

Xinhuamen began in 1758 as Baoyue Lou, a two-storey pavilion built by the Qianlong Emperor on the south bank of Taiye Pool, named for the moon reflected in the water. In 1913 Zhu Qiqian directed its conversion into the main entrance of the presidential palace, renaming it Xinhuamen and adding the side walls and screen. The plaque is by Yuan Lizhun; the stone lions reportedly came from the former Duan Prince's mansion.

The name Xinhuamen replaced Baoyuelou in 1913, when the building became the main gate of the presidential compound. The plaque above the entrance was written by Yuan Lizhun in the guange style and measures 0.64 m by 1.6 m. Since the late 1960s the screen wall inside the gate has carried Mao Zedong's calligraphy of "Serve the People", chosen from several versions he wrote after 1949.

The gate is not open to the public, with security personnel controlling all access for authorized government officials only. You can view and photograph it from the street while maintaining respectful distance from the entrance area.

The stone lions flanking the gate are said to come from the former Duanwang Palace and to be the largest pair in the old city wall area of Beijing. In August 1966, Red Guards targeted them during the "Four Olds" campaign; Zhou Enlai persuaded them to stop and had the lions moved away for protection, and they were later returned to their place.