Polo [and Odoric] again says that there were 12 gates—­3 to every side.  Both Gaubil and Martini also say that there were 12 gates.  But I believe that both are trusting to Marco.  There are 9 gates in the present Tartar city—­viz. 3 on the south side and 2 on each of the other sides.  The old Chinese accounts say there were 11 gates in Taidu. (See Amyot, Mem. II. 553.) I have in my plan, therefore, assumed that one gate on the east and one on the west were obliterated in the reduction of the enceinte by the Ming.  But I must observe that Mr. Lockhart tells me he did not find the traces of gates in those positions, whilst the 2 gates on the north side of the old Mongol rampart are quite distinct, with the barbicans in front, and the old Mongol bridge over the ditch still serving for the public thoroughfare.[1]

["The Yuen shi as well as the Ch’ue keng lu, and other works of the Yuen, agree in stating that the capital had eleven gates.  They are enumerated in the following order:  Southern wall—­(1) The gate direct south (mid.) was called Li-cheng men; (2) the gate to the left (east), Wen-ming men; (3) the gate to the right (west), Shun-ch’eng men.  Eastern wall—­(4) The gate direct east (mid.), Ch’ung-jen men; (5) the gate to the south-east, Ts’i-hua men; (6) the gate to the north-east, Kuang-hi men.  Western wall—­(7) The gate direct west (mid.), Ho-i men; (8) the gate to the south-west, P’ing-tse men; (9) the gate to the north-west, Su-ts’ing men.  Northern Wall—­(10) The gate to the north-west, K’ien-te men; (11) the gate to the north-east, An-chen men.” (Bretschneider, Peking, 13-14.)—­H.  C.]

When the Ming established themselves on the old Mongol site, population seems to have gathered close about the southern wall, probably using material from the remains of Yenking.  This excrescence was inclosed by a new wall in 1554, and was called the “Outer Town.”  It is what is called by Europeans the Chinese City.  Its western wall exhibits in the base sculptured stones, which seem to have belonged to the old palace of Yenking.  Some traces of Yenking still existed in Gaubil’s time; the only relic of it now pointed out is a pagoda outside of the Kwang-An-Man, or western gate of the Outer City, marked in the War Office edition of the Russian Map as “Tower.” (Information from Dr. Lockhart.)

The “Great Palaces” over the gates and at the corner bastions are no doubt well illustrated by the buildings which still occupy those positions.  There are two such lofty buildings at each of the gates of the modern city, the outer one (shown on p. 376) forming an elevated redoubt.

NOTE 5.—­The French writer cited under note 3 says of the city as it stands:  “La ville est de la sorte coupee en echiquier a peu pres regulier dont les quadres circonscrits par des larges avenues sont perces eux-memes d’une multitude de rues et ruelles ... qui toutes a peu pres sont orientees N. et S., E. et O. Une seule volonte a evidemment preside a ce plan, et jamais edilite n’a eu a executer d’un seul coup aussi vaste entreprise.”