Beijing Front Gate or Qien Men refers to the two separate towers at the southern side of the Tiananmen Square. It is a great place to start the long tour of the Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Although access to the Arrow Tower is no longer given to the public, tourists can still climb up to the Zhengyang Men which is the rear building. There is a photo exhibit there which shows the life of Beijing's temples, markets and hutongs (small streets) before the country became the Republic of China.
