Pan Gate, Suzhou

Pan Gate, Pan Men, Panmen or Panmen Gate is a famous historical landmark in Suzhou. 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. 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 in the end of the Yuan Dynasty.