Tiananmen Square

Tiananmen Square is the largest city square in the world, at 440,000 square meters, and can hold about one million people for public celebration or gatherings. In the square tourists can climb the Tiananmen Rostrum, attend the national flag raising ceremony every morning at sunrise, visit the National Museum of China, and go to the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong, in which one will see the body of the great Chinese leader.

Tiananmen Square holds the Monument of the National Heroes, the Great Hall of the People, the National Museum of China and the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong. To the north is the Forbidden City and to the south the Temple of Heaven. 

The Tiananmen Rostrum, standing to the north of the Tiananmen Square, on the south–north central axis of Beijing, was the main gate of the royal palace of both the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It was initially called Chengtianmen (Carrying Heaven Gate), which means to bear the edict and divine power of Heaven itself, as the Emperor, who used this gate, was believed to.

In the eighth year of emperor Shunzhi's administration (1652), the gate was refurbished and called Tiananmen (the Gate of Heavenly Peace). From then on nearly all important imperial celebrations and events, such as: the enthronement of an emperor, imperial weddings, the rite of the emperor going to battle, the famous "Imperial Edict Issued by the Golden Phoenix", the worship of Heaven and Earth and the worship of the five grains; all involved passing through this gate.

The magnificent gate has five openings. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the passage in the middle leading to the Forbidden City was reserved for the emperor himself. The emperor went through the central passage on the way to the altars for rituals and other religious activities. High-ranking government officials and the empresses, concubines, princess and princesses could only enter the Forbidden City through the side passages, while ordinary subjects were absolutely forbidden to go inside the Forbidden City, hence its name.

The 34.7 meter-high Tiananmen Rostrum seems even more magnificent in the sunshine, with glittering yellow glazed tiles on the roof and deep red walls and pillars.

Before Tiananmen are the Golden Water Bridge and the white Huabiao, a pair of ornamental columns made of white marble sculptured with dragon designs. They are also called "slander pillars", as in ancient times they carried the ordinary people's slander and suggestions for the emperor. There is also a pair of big stone lions.

Tips: A ceremony for the raising and lowering of the Chinese national flag is held at sunrise and sunset everyday.

Most Beijing tours include a visit to Tiananmen Square. Our Beijing Culture Experience Tour comes highly recommended as it gives a more comprehensive view of Beijing.

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