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Tiananmen Square

Tiananmen Square: the Largest City Square in the World

Tian'anmen Square is located right in the center of Beijing. It measures 880 meters north-south and 500 meters east-west, with a total area of 440,000 square meters, allowing one million people to gather there. It is the largest city square in the modern world.

The square used to be an imperial square outside the Forbidden City during the feudal era, walled in on the eastern, western and southern sides, shutting out the common people. In 1958, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the founding of the People‘s Republic of China, more than 1,000 designers competed in designing Tiananmen Square. It has undergone several transformations to become what it is today. At the north end of the square is the Tiananmen. Not very far to the west stands the Zhongnanhai (Central & South Sea), the seat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council. Opposite the Tiananmen flies the national flag of the People’s Republic of China. In the center of the square stands the Monument to People‘s Heroes and the solemn Chairman Mao’s Mausoleum. On the west side of square is the Great Hall of the People, also the seat of the National People‘s Congress, the supreme organ of power in China. On the south end of the square are Zhengyangmen (Right Sun Gate) and the Arrow Tower of Qianmen (Front Gate). The whole square is splendid and magnificent. The buildings are symmetrical and harmoniously integrated, giving an air of power and grandeur. 

Almost all Chinese and foreign Tourists make Tian'anmen Square the first stop of their Beijing tour. To many Chinese, it is their life-long aspiration to see Tian'anmen Square, not only because it is a beautiful historical relic, but also because no other place is regarded by the people with such affection. From the May 4, 1919 movement, which declared war against thousands of years of feudal rule, to Chairman Mao Zedong‘s declaration of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, saying farewell to a history of humiliation and enslavement, to Deng Xiaoping‘s introduction of his theory of building socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics to launch the current economic surge, and with all its state ceremonies and activities of state affairs. Tiananmen has witnessed many major political and historical events that describe the decline and resurgence of China. 

Tian'anmen Square is the symbol of China -- a center that rallies all the Chinese people and provides the focus of their attention. Its turbulence and tranquility, its joy and sorrow are a mirror reflecting the county’s march through time.

Tiananmen Square Travel Tips

Admission Fee: free for visiting the Square; CNY15 for ascending Tiananmen Gate

Opening Hours: whole day

Subway Station: Tiananmen East & Tiananmen West of Line One

Last Updated on Thursday, 28 January 2016 16:23