Huizhou Chaojing Gate

Standing on the south bank of the East River, Chaojing Gate commands the landscape with its double-eave hip-and-gable roof and sharply upturned corners. The structure anchors the daily rhythm of modern Huizhou in Ming Dynasty architectural aesthetics. Grey tiles and red eaves crown a massive base built directly into the city’s embankment, where three arched passageways channel a steady stream of pedestrians and vehicles.

The original gate rose in 1370 during a massive expansion of the city’s defenses. Magistrates renamed it Chaojing Gate in 1389 to signify its orientation toward the imperial capital. Locals and military strategists alike called it the 'Huizhou Natural Moat.' Its formidable riverside position made it an impenetrable fortress for centuries. Artillery fire during the 1925 Second Eastern Expedition brought the original tower down. The riverbank remained exposed for over eighty years until the municipal government completed the current structure in 2006.

The gate replicates the classical official style of the Ming and Qing dynasties and serves a highly practical modern function as an active flood-control barrier. Inside the three archways sit six heavy, chevron-shaped electric floodgates decorated with rows of golden knobs. These barriers remain open to city traffic under normal conditions. When the East River swells to a height of fifteen meters, the gates automatically close, shielding the urban center from severe flooding.

A walk to the second floor offers a sweeping vantage point. To one side lies the calm expanse of Huizhou West Lake; to the other, the steady current of the East River. Connected to hundreds of meters of surviving Ming Dynasty wall, Chaojing Gate anchors the city’s historical memory and actively protects its residents.