Site of Deji Gate

The Site of Deji Gate holds what remains of the southern gate of Quanzhou in the Song and Yuan dynasties and bears a testimony to the history of the city’s southward expansion. As a major landmark of the commercial district in the south of the city, the Site of Deji Gate stands testament to the government’s administrative assurance for the development of maritime trade and commerce within the city. It is located at the southern extreme of the old city of Quanzhou, outside Tianhou Temple, which faces the Jinjiang River and the Site of Shunji Bridge. Deji Gate and the Yicheng, known as “wing wall”, to which it was connected, were first built in 1230. It became the main route by which people access the commercial district in the south of the city. The site of the gate was expanded in 1352 during the Yuan Dynasty. In the Ming Dynasty, a barbican was constructed for the gate, and in the Qing Dynasty, the gate underwent repairs and reinforcements. Up until the middle of the 20th century, the gate remained in regular use, giving it a history of over 700 years. Archaeological excavations in 2001 fully revealed the remains of various phases of construction on the site from the 13th century. Facing southward, the site covers an area of 2,000 square meters. Built of granite slabs and with old abandoned architectural elements, it is partly reinforced using lime grouting. The Site of Deji Gate was included into the sixth group of major cultural heritage sites protected at the national level by the State Council in May, 2006.