The area known as Chongwenmen, which is commonly called "Hademen", is located near the eastern section of the inner city southern wall. Originally called "Wenmingmen", it was built in the fifteenth century, in the year 1419. The name was changed during the Zhengtong era (1435–1449), and the new name was taken from Zuo Zhuan: "崇文德也"(chong wen de ye). The barbican, sluice gates, and a watchtower were built in the Zhengtong era.
The gate tower was built in multi-eaved Xieshanding style, with grey and green glazed tiles. It was three rooms by five, with an overall width of 39.1 metres and a depth of 24.3 metres. The gate tower had two floors and was built on a tower platform at a height of 35.5 metres. The watchtower was similar in design to the one at Zhengyangmen, but on a slightly smaller scale. The enceinte had a width of 78 metres and a depth of 86 metres. There were sluice gates and arches on the western side. Chongwenmen had a Guandimiao temple in the northeastern corner, built facing the south. In 1900 the gate tower was destroyed by British cannon fire during the Boxer Rebellion; it was completely dismantled in 1920. The barbican was dismantled in 1950 and the gate tower in 1966.
Chongwenmen was a "sighting gate", with the connotation of "a bright and prosperous future". Its symbol was the Chongwen iron turtle. Due to its close proximity to the busy Tonghui river, it was the busiest gate in Beijing. Entry and departure taxes were charged at Chongwenmen throughout the Ming dynasty, Qing dynasty, and early Republican eras. The Empress Dowager Cixi's "cosmetic spending" and the early Republican China president's annual salary came directly from taxes levied at this gate. In 1924, Feng Tianxiang initiated a coup, after which the taxation at Chongwenmen was stopped.
Only Chongwenmen had bells announcing the closure of the gates at the end of the day. The other gates used a flat instrument that produced a "tang" sound. Thus arose the saying that of "nine gates, eight tangs, one old bell". This story is a possible etymological origin of zhongdian to refer to the hour in the Beijing dialect. In the past there were many distilleries in the southern Daxing District. Carts would carry newly brewed spirits through Chongwenmen. This is the origin of the saying, "Chongwenmen has carts carrying spirits entering; Xuanwumen has carts carrying prisoners leaving".
When Chongwenmen was dismantled during the Cultural Revolution, workers discovered that the gate was the original Ming structure, using phoebe puwennensis wood. Some of the recovered wood was used during reconstruction work in the Forbidden City and Tiananmen.
