轅門

轅 (the shaft which connects a carriage to its horse) + 門 (gate)

In ancient times, when a monarch went on an expedition (ex. for hunting), the place where he stopped would be made into a camp by surrounding the location with a baricade of horse-drawn vehicles. Two of the vehicles would be upended, and their shafts would be made to meet, so as to form a makeshift gateway of sorts.

轅門

1. (archaic) the entrance to a military camp

   • 項羽召見諸侯將，入轅門，無不膝行而前，莫敢仰視。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     项羽召见诸侯将，入辕门，无不膝行而前，莫敢仰视。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

     Xiàng Yǔ zhàojiàn zhūhóu jiāng, rù yuánmén, wúbù xīxíng ér qián, mò gǎn yǎngshì. [Pinyin]

     Xiang Yu summoned the vassals' generals, all of whom, when entering the barracks gate, walked on their knees forwards, none daring to look up.

2. (archaic) the outer entrance gate to a high level official's office

   • 今有蔚州衛拿獲妖賊二名，解到轅門外，伏聽鈞旨。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     今有蔚州卫拿获妖贼二名，解到辕门外，伏听钧旨。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: Feng Menglong, "Stories Old and New" published in 1620

     Jīn yǒu Yùzhōu wèi náhuò yāozéi èr míng, jiě dào yuánmén wài, fú tīng jūn zhǐ. [Pinyin]

     Just now the Yuzhou guards have captured two heretical rebels and delivered them to outsides of the office's gate; and they're waiting to hear your orders.

轅門

1. (～社區) Yuanmen (a residential community in Tancheng, Pingtan, Fuzhou, Fujian, China)