Pan Gate, Pan Men, Panmen or Panmen Gate is a famous historical landmark
in Suzhou, China. It is located on the south-west corner of the Main Canal or
encircling canal of Suzhou. Originally built during the Warring States Period in
the state of Wu, historians estimate it to be around 2,500 years old. It is now
part of the Pan Gate Scenic Area. It is known for the 'three landmarks of Pan
Gate'. They are the Ruiguang Pagoda, the earliest pagoda in Suzhou built in 247
B.C., the Wu Gate Bridge, the entrance to the gate at that time over the water
passage and the highest bridge in Suzhou at the time, and Pan Gate.
Pan Gate is part of the ancient city wall built in 514 B.C. that
surrounded and protected Suzhou. Pan Gate was the only entrance to the wall that
surrounded ancient Suzhou. It is also known in China for its architecture. It is
so famous for its complex of both land and water city gates that many times,
people directly refer to it as the 'Land and Water Gate'. In order to attract
more tourists, in recent years, the city of Suzhou has renovated the old wall
and built many other attractions around the original gate in the Pan Gate Scenic
Area.
The present Pan Gate was built in the 11th year of the reign of Zhizheng
(1333-1370) in the end of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 AD).