Yingtian Gate

隋唐洛阳城应天门

A reconstruction of the main south gate of the Sui-Tang Luoyang Palace City, known as “the No. 1 gate under heaven.” Its nightly light show is spectacular, and it shares a heritage park with the Mingtang and Tiantang.

Yingtian Gate was the south gate of the Sui-Tang Luoyang Palace City (Ziwei City). Construction began in 605 during the Daye era of the Sui dynasty. It was the site of enthronement ceremonies, general amnesties, and audiences with foreign envoys in the Sui and Tang periods, and Empress Wu Zetian was crowned here. It is known as “the No. 1 gate under heaven.”

The current Yingtian Gate is a reconstruction on the original site, built to Tang-dynasty specifications as a double-winged, triple-gated city tower. It stands about 50 m tall and opened to the public in 2019. Inside is a site museum where you can see the rammed-earth remains of the Sui-Tang gate foundations. You can also climb to the top for views over Dingding Gate Avenue and the Mingtang and Tiantang.

The main draw is the night scene. The tower is lit up, and several 3D projection light shows run each evening (roughly 19:30–21:30, lasting over 10 minutes per show). They are free to watch from the square, and they are among Luoyang’s most popular night views. The entrance fee for climbing the tower is about 30 yuan. Yingtian Gate and the Mingtang and Tiantang (Wu Zetian’s Tongtian Palace, about 120 yuan admission) are in the same heritage park, about a 10-minute walk apart. In the evening, you can see Yingtian Gate first and then the Tang Palace Night Tour performance at the Mingtang and Tiantang. The Jiuzhou Pond, an imperial garden on the west side of the palace city, is also nearby. Yingtian Gate Station is an interchange station on Metro Lines 1 and 2.

Tips: The light show square gets crowded, so arrive early to get a good spot. The last tower-climbing slot of the day is early.

Yingtian Gate

Opening hours

Nearby sights

Places to eat nearby