Built more than 600 years ago, it is the only existing ancient city gate in Hangzhou.
There were five water gates in Hangzhou during the Southern Song Dynasty, namely the South Water Gate, the North Water Gate, Bao’an Water Gate, Tianzong Water Gate and Yuhang Water Gate. At that time, there was no Fengshan Water Gate.
According to Qing Dynasty geographer Gu Zuyu’s Essentials of Geography for Reading History, in Jinjiang in the south of the city, there was a gate named Fengshan, also known as Zhengyang Gate. Ten miles north from Wulin Gate, it was based on Hening Gate which was built by Zhang Shicheng. Here, Zhang Shicheng is mentioned.
At the end of Yuan Dynasty, Zhang Shicheng seized the areas of Zhedong and Zhexi. He took Hangzhou as a stronghold and rebuilt the city walls. In 1359, 10 land gates and 5 water gates were set up. As a result, the South City was shrunk several miles and the South City Gate was reconstructed. It was later renamed Fengshan Gate in early Ming Dynasty. To the east of Fengshan Gate was the Middle River. Zhang Shicheng therefore built a water gate, known as Fengshan Water Gate.
Since then, the land and water gates of Fengshan coexist. From Longshan, the water of Qiantang River flows through Fengshan Water Gate and the crisscrossing waterways inside the city, and then goes out from Wulin Water Gate, and finally joins Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.
There is a saying that Fengshan Water Gate was the throat of the southern Grand Canal to Qiantang River, which shows that the water gate was in a strategic position on the Grand Canal at that time.
Many city gates in Hangzhou were destroyed in the Republican era. Fortunately, Fengshan Water Gate remains intact. As always, it watches people pick willow twigs by the bridge and stands there guarding the city firmly.
In 1983, the government started to restore the Middle River and Fengshan Water Gate was also repaired and listed as a national cultural relic under protection.
After more than 600 years, a lot of things including the surrounding buildings and traffic have changed and the waterways of the Grand Canal have also changed due to urban and shipping development, the 20-meter-long channel under the water gate still retains its original look from Yuan and Ming dynasties.
Start from Fengshan Water Gate for a half-day tour in Hangzhou to dream back to one thousand years ago.
Go southwards along Zhongshan South Road till the junction with Zhonghe South Road, where you will see the water gate spanning across the Middle River.
But now most of the city walls of the gate no longer exist. The remaining gate is fenced off. The middle section of the stone arch gate survives. Its top is the city wall. Each brick on it has gone through 600 years of wind and rain and each crack is a mark left by time and has witnessed the rise and fall of the city.
In the south of the gate, the four Chinese characters “凤山水门” can be spotted clearly above the arch.
At the broken end of the gate close to Zhongshan South Road, three 2.2-meter-high relief walls about marriage, markets, wharfs and paintings have been built. They show the daily life of Hangzhou people by the water gate in the old days vividly.
After visiting Fengshan Water Gate, do not make haste to go back home. Since you are here, why not start from the gate and enjoy a half-day tour to dream back to one thousand years ago? We’ve arranged all the sights for you as below.
Fengshan Water Gate 凤山水城门 - Liubu Bridge 六部桥 -Southern Song Dynasty Ruins Exhibition Hall (Southern Song Dynasty Imperial Street Ruins) 南宋遗址陈列馆（南宋御街遗址） - Taimiao Temple Ruins Park 太庙遗址公园 - Drum Tower 鼓楼 - Dajing Lane (No. 1 well in Qiantang) 大井巷（钱塘第一井）- Southern Song Dynasty Deshou Palace Archaeological Site 南宋德寿宫考古遗址