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For travelers, the reopening on July 27 adds another landmark to the 7.8-kilometer UNESCO heritage route, which has the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, and the Bell and Drum Towers.

Zhengyangmen Gate has guarded the capital for more than six centuries.

According to tourism service platform China Bound, it served as the largest and most critical city gate connecting the inner and outer cities during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1368-1911) Dynasty eras.

The recent renovation focused on preserving its integrity.

Speaking to China Daily regarding the restoration of Zhengyangmen Gate Tower, Chen Liang, director of the heritage conservation department at the Beijing Central Axis Heritage Protection Center, said the restoration successfully brought back the tower’s original interior spatial layout.

Experiencing this authentic ancient architecture is one of the most compelling reasons for visitors to explore the site today, he said.

The tower has undergone extensive, three-dimensional digital scanning, making digitalization a core feature of how this campaign is presented to the public.

Stepping inside, visitors can explore a blend of historical artifacts, archived images, texts, and digital displays detailing more than 600 years of history.

Global Times reported that the interior features authentic scale models of Zhengyangmen built to precise proportions.

These allow travelers to see not only the current gate and arrow towers but also how the entire original structure once looked.

For many travelers, the highlight of the visit lies on the top level of the tower.

From this elevated viewpoint, visitors get a bird’s-eye view of the capital, the bustling lanes of Qianmen Street filled with visitors to the south and a view of Tian’anmen Square, the National Museum of China, and the Great Hall of the People to the north.

Zhengyangmen Gate Tower is open from Tuesday through Sunday between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Standard admission costs 20 yuan (around US$2.95) for adults, but is free for people under 18 and above 60.

Visitors are encouraged to reserve tickets online in advance.

Reaching the gate tower by public transit is convenient. Travelers can take metro line 2 or 8 directly to Qianmen station, from where exits A and C lead straight to the landmark.

For those hoping to capture panoramic photography, visiting in the late afternoon often yields the best natural light.