Beijing Gate Blocks

The appearance of gate blocks in Beijing areas might have something to do with county organizational systems The earliest gate blocks are said to be the pair in front of the gate to Shejitan of Zhongshan Park. Some say they were built during the Sui and Tang dynasties.

The development of Beijing gate blocks also had a close relationship with the founding of Zhongdu and Dadu, capitals of the Yuan and Liao dynasties. In addition to its time-honored history, they are many Beijing gate blocks -- about 10,00 pairs today, with rich cultural implications.

  Best Wishes Imprinted on Gate Blocks

Nine generational living under the same roof	White monkey stealing peaches

Exquisite patterns are often found carved on surfaces of gate blocks, expressing people's wishes for a long, happy, peaceful and wealthy life. Many combine animals, figurines and geometrical designs.

As in Chinese language, the characters for "lion" and "generation," which share the same pronunciation "shi" the nine-lion pattern signals "nine generations living under the same roof," represent the house owners' wish for a harmony and a prosperous family.

The pattern featuring a white monkey stealing peaches was also frequently seen on gate blocks. As a Chinese myth has it that a mother monkey thirsted for peaches after falling ill. Her son, a white monkey, holding enormous piety for his mother, went to the heavenly peach garden. Fortunately, he was caught by Sun Zhenren, the god watching over the garden. In order to save his mother, the white monkey pled for mercy. Moved by the child monkey's filial piety, Sun Zhenren let him go with the stolen peaches. Since then, the pattern has become a symbol of wishing the elderly to have a long and healthy life.

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