Meridian Gate at night

The Meridian Gate has a foundation system constructed on the U-shaped area, which has a base of 57.77 meter long and sides of 27.06 meter long. The ground level, built of stone bricks combined with brass bearing beams, is 5 meter high and 1.560 square-meter wide (including the inner space of the U-shape). It has five entrances, of which the centre one was always reserved for the monarch's use only. The two, slightly smaller, side entrances were reserved for mandarins, soldiers and horses. The two small arched entrances on the side were for the rest and commoners.