Xizhimen, Transportation junction in Xicheng District, Beijing, China.
Xizhimen is a major transportation junction in Beijing where several important roads and railway lines meet. The site is marked by modern structures that bring together multiple transport systems and organize the flow of travelers through the city.
The gate was originally built during the Ming Dynasty in the 15th century as a city entrance. Archaeological finds beneath the Ming construction revealed that an older fortified structure from the Yuan period had stood at this location.
The water symbol carved on the ancient gate represents how this place supplied drinking water to Beijing's residents and rulers. People in the city depended on this passage to bring fresh water from the surrounding hills into their homes.
The station is easily accessible with three different subway lines and many bus stops around the area. An underground passage system connects the junction to the nearby railway station and makes transferring between transport modes straightforward.
Demolition work in the 1960s uncovered sections of a Yuan Dynasty fortification beneath the Ming structure at this location. This discovery showed that the site had served as an important passage point centuries earlier than previously believed.
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