In ancient times, city walls were mainly used for military defense, while city gates were built for people to enter and leave. Chongqing is surrounded by water on three sides and mountains on one side. The terrain is complex and rugged, and it is impossible to build a square wall like other cities. It can only be adapted to local conditions according to geographical conditions and traffic demand. Therefore, the city wall is not a straight line, but a curve along the mountain. Therefore, the city gate can only be opened according to the mountain, depending on the needs, so it far exceeds the four gates in the southeast, northwest and northwest.
Chongqing has a long history. According to research, since the construction of Hongya Gate in Song Dynasty, all previous dynasties have built city walls and gates according to the needs of military and traffic at that time, but they are not "systematic" and "standardized". Dai Ding, the governor of Chongqing during the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, was the "great hero" of Chongqing's gate. During the period of guarding Chongqing, Dai Ding strengthened and repaired the city walls and gates built by predecessors on a large scale, and built important gates such as Linjiang Gate, thus completing the "series" construction of Chongqing gates. At that time, people were superstitious and advocated Feng Shui. According to legend, when Dai Ding was building a city and opening its gates, he invited a clever "Mr. Feng Shui" to look at the terrain, measure Feng Shui, determine the orientation of the gates according to the five elements of "Jin Mu Fire, Water and Earth" and determine the number of gates according to the image of "Nine Palaces and Eight Diagrams". According to the ancient city of Chongqing, when Dai Ding opened the city, he "consciously arranged nine openings and eight closures" and "was determined by the image of nine palaces and eight gossip, which coincided with nine palaces and eight gossip".
Most of the houses in ancient Chongqing were diaojiao buildings made of bamboo and wood tied to mountains. Chongqing has a hot climate and dense houses, which are prone to fire. Fire has always been a hidden danger in Chongqing. Eight gates, such as Phoenix Gate and Hongya Gate, are smaller "dry" gates away from the river (consciously smaller than "water" gates such as Chaotianmen Gate and Linjiangmen near the river). "Drought" means "fire". In the five elements, "water" is fire, so people will open nine "water" doors, such as Chaotianmen, Siqianmen, Linjiangmen, Tongyuanmen, Antarctic Gate, Golden Gate, Chuqimen, Taiping Gate and Dongshuimen. Eight dry gates, such as Cuiwei Gate, Tai 'anmen Gate, Renhe Gate, Fenghuang Gate, Jintang Gate, Dingyuan Gate, Hongya Gate and Xishuimen, are closed. Except for Jinzimen Gate and Chuqi Gate, there is a dry gate between every two water gates. For example, there is a Cui Weimen between Chaotianmen and Dongshuimen, and a Taian Gate between Dongshuimen and the security door. Such "open" and "closed" places are connected into a ring, and "water" is used to "fire" to prevent the occurrence of fire. This is "pseudoscience" of course, but it reflects the social situation and people's good intentions at that time.
It has been more than 600 years since Dai Dingjian City opened its port. With the vicissitudes of time and historical changes, with the needs of social progress and traffic development, the 17 city gates have been demolished or destroyed, and they are long gone. Now, even the 80-year-old Chongqing can't tell the exact location and appearance of this 17 city gate, leaving only the place names such as Chaotianmen and Chuqimen and the topic of Longmen array after dinner.