In the Ming and Qing the area around Changmen was lined with shops and was the liveliest part of Suzhou.
Tips
culture
The first chapter of 《红楼梦》 calls the Changmen quarter one of the richest and most stylish places in the world, and the story opens on a lane just outside the gate.
history
The gate goes back to the Wu capital that 伍子胥 laid out in 514 BC. Its name comes from 阊阖, the gate of heaven.
