Tiananmen Square

Tiananmen Square Travel Guide
Location	East Chang'an Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing (the center of Beijing)
Highlights	1949 - The founding ceremony of the People's Republic of China; 1986 - Be awarded as one of the "Beijing 16 Scenes"; 2013 - world's largest city central plaza.
Time for a Visit	about 40 min
Opening Hours	Whole day
Subway	Subway Line 1: get off at Tiananmen East Station or Tiananmen West Station.

Tiananmen Square, the heart of Beijing, is the world's largest city center square. The group the the square is all paved with specially processing light-colored granite stone. The ceremony of raising the national flag in every morning and dropping flag in every sunset time is the most solemn ceremony. Tiananmen Square was the locality of numerous major political and historical events. It is the witness of Chinese development. While strolling in Tiananmen Square, looking up at the magnificent layout, the majestic momentum, the vast and deep landscape, you will feel China's rapid development. Tiananmen Square is the Holy Land in the hearts of the Chinese people, and is the heart of great China.

Location and Layout of Tiananmen Square
Tiananmen Square starts from Tian An Men from the north, and south to Zheng Yang Men, east from the Museum of History, west to the Great Hall of the People. It covers an area of 44 hectares, and it is 500 meters wide from east to west, 880 meters long from north to south. It can accommodate up to 100 people to hold a mammoth rally.

The center of the square stands the Monument to the People's Heroes and solemn Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, the west side of the square is the Great Hall of the People, the East side is the Museum of the Chinese Revolution and the Museum of Chinese History, the south side are two ancient tower which was built in l4 century - the Zheng Yang Men and Qian Men Embrasured Watchtower. The whole square is magnificent, neat and symmetrical. On both sides of the Tian An Men are the Working People's Cultural Palace and Zhongshan Park, these majestic buildings along with the Tiananmen integrally constitute Tiananmen Square, and become a major attraction in Beijing.

Historical Events in Tiananmen Square
Tiananmen Square was a royal square in the outside the main entrance of the Forbidden City in Ming and Qing period. No place in modern history has so touching contact with Chinese people's emotional world like the Tiananmen Square.

1) On May 4th, 1919, the May Fourth Movement broke out here, the Chinese people to declare war on imperialism and feudalism.
2) On December 9th, 1935, the 12·9 Movement broke out here, which was a large scale students' patriotic movement leaded by Chinese Communist Party.
3) On October 1st, 1949, Chairman Mao Zedong declared the founding of the People's Republic of China, and personally hoisted the first five-star red flag in Tiananmen Square to say good-bye to the humiliation and slavery. Since then, Tiananmen has become a symbol of the new China, and its solemn image has been an important part of China's national emblem.

Importance of Tiananmen Square
Tiananmen Square is the largest city square in the world today. It has not only witnessed the Chinese people's struggle for democracy, freedom, against foreign aggression and reactionary rule, but also is important place for major celebrations, grand assembly and Foreign Affairs meeting place.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Tiananmen Square has experienced three large-scale reconstruction and extension project, which make the ancient square more magnificent and become the cohesion of the Chinese nation and the symbol of Chinese prosperity.


►Recommended Beijing Tour: 4 Days Best Beijing Tour
(Attractions: Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Mutianyu Great Wall, Changling Tomb)