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
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
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
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.1) Take the subway Line one and get off at Tian An Men Xi or Tian
An Men Dong 2) Take Tourist Bus No. 1 or No. 5 and get off at Qian
Men 3) Other Buses that passes by are
and 922. One may take these buses and drop at Qianmen or Tiananmen
How to Get to there?