Chinese monumental tower. Que are ancient architectural structures originating from gate-towers of walled enclosures; at an early stage they were detached from the wall and placed in front of the entrance as a mark of distinction. The earliest recorded que are from the Western Zhou period (c. 1050-771 BC); by the Han period (206 BC-AD 220) they were widely used in front of city gates, palaces, official buildings, temples and, eventually, within tomb enclosures. Frequently used to display governmental decrees, they signalled status and marked boundaries. Que, rather than gateways, formed the limits of palace or city complexes. A 3rd-century AD brick relief from a tomb at Yi'nan, Shandong Province, shows domestic life taking place outside the wall but within the que; horses and chariots stand beyond the que.
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