Huamen Gateway (华门 - Huámen)
Huamen is the first Gateway of the Celestial Empire and the main tourist attraction in Linfen City. Here you can find a museum narrating the history of five-thousand-year-old Chinese Civilization, of its great people and their achievements, as well as of its mythological figures.![](txdym.jpg)
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Its central door is the highest in the world with its height of 18 meters.
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1 floor – The hall “China” (中华大厅 - Zhōnghuá dàtīng)
2 floor – The viewpoint overlooking the hall “China” (观景台 - Guānjǐngtái)
3 floor – The hall dedicated to the Universe /Heaven and Earth/ (乾坤大厅 - Qiánkūn dàtīng)
4 floor – The hall dedicated to heroic women (巾帼大厅 - Jīnguódàtīng)
5 floor (the last one) (顶层 - Dǐngcéng) – The gateway to the Hall of Forefathers (门祖阁 - Ménzǔgé)
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You have to be a pretty experienced sinologist to understand everything around.
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Shùn (舜), Yáo (尧), Fúxī (伏羲), Sui Ren (遂人), Nüwa (女娲), Yandi /Flame Emperor/ (炎帝), Huangdi /Yellow Emperor/ (黄帝).
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2. Xunzi (荀子), Chinese sophist within Confucian tradition (313 — 238 B.C.);
3. Mozi (墨子), ancient Chinese philosopher, opponent of Confucianism, developed the Doctrine of Universal Love (470 — 391 B.C.);
4. Laozi (老子), philosopher, well-known for his utterances and aphorisms (604 — 531 B.C.);
5. Confucius (孔子), thinker and philosopher (551 — 479 B.C.);
6. Mencius (孟子), Chinese philosopher and thinker, one of the most ambitious successors of Confucius (372 — 289 B.C.);
7. Sun Zi (孙子), thinker, the author of “Art of War”, the treatise on military strategy and politics (544 — 496 B.C.).
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2. Guan Gong (关公) — God of War;
3. Mazu (妈祖) — Goddess of the sea, she protects sailors;
4. Yudi (玉皇大帝) — Jade Emperor, supreme deity of Taoism (aka Yu Huang Dadi);
5. Songzi Niangniang (送子娘娘) — Fertility Goddess and patron of children;
6. Longwang (龙王) — Dragon King, the ruler of the water element;
7. Cai Shen (财神) — God of prosperity.
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On the left there are the statues of the four founders of scientific studies (四大科技先圣 - Sì dà kējì xiānshèng).
1. Confucius (孔子 - Kǒngzǐ), world-famous Chinese philosopher (551 - 479 B.C.);
2. Sun Zi (孙子 - Sūnzǐ), author of “Art of War”, the famous treatise on military strategy (544 – 496 B.C.);
3. Qu Yuan (屈原 - Qū Yuán), Chinese poet (340 - 278 B.C.);
4. Sima Qian (司马迁 - Sīmǎ Qiān), considered being an originator of Chinese historiography (139 – 86 B.C.).
To the right of the learned scholars there are four statues of folk craftsmen (四大民生巨匠 - Sì dà mínshēng jùjiàng).
1. Lu Ban (鲁班 - Lǔ Bān), engineer, philosopher, inventor. He became a deified patron of Chinese craftsmen and builders (507 - 440 B.C.);
2. Jiasixie (贾思勰 - Jiǎsīxié), scientist of the Northern Wei Dynasty period, author of one of the oldest fundamental works on agriculture (about 544 A.D.);
3. Huang Daopo (黄道婆 - Huáng Dàopó). The indigenous people of Li on Hainan Island disclosed her the secret of cotton fabrics production, and she spread it through China (1245 - 1330 A.D.);
4. Li Shizhen (李时珍 - Lǐ Shízhēn), Chinese physician and pharmacologist. For 27 years he wrote “Treatise on Roots and Herbs” in 52 volumes (1518 - 1593 A.D.).
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1. Mother of the philosopher Mencius (孟母);
2. Ti Ying, courageous daughter who saved her father (缇萦);
3. Empress Zhangsun (长孙皇后);
4. Mother of the national hero Yue Fei (岳母).
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On the right there are four statues of female rulers (四大掌国权女).
1. Empress Lu Zhi (吕后);
2. Wu Zetian (武则天), concubine of the Celestial Emperor Taizong, but she actually ruled China for forty years;
3. Empress Xiao (萧太后);
4. Empress Cixi (慈禧太后).
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