The Meridian Gate is the front gate of the Forbidden City. It was an important ceremonial space where state parades would take place to honor major ceremonies and celebrate major festivals during the Ming and Qing dynasties. For example, the ceremony for issuing the calendar next year would be held here on the first day of the twelfth month each year and the ceremony to offer prisoners to the emperor when the army returned in triumph would take place here. Not like what is plotted in TV dramas and movies, the Meridian Gate was not a place for decapitation, but a place where penalties would be exercised such as public flogging of bureaucrats.

“凹” shape in plan, the Meridian Gate has three gates in the middle and one side gate on each wing. The gate tower in the center on top of the terrace is 9 bays wide and 5 bays deep, with a double-hip roof of yellow glazed tiles. A square pavilion stands on either side of the gate tower. Each square pavilion has a 13-bay-long corridor known as the "wild-goose wings." South of each of the corridors is a square pavilion covered with a double-layered eave tented roof of yellow glazed tiles.