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Tian'anmen Square

At the very heart of Beijing, sits Tian'anmen Square, the largest urban square in the world. This vast space, measuring 40 hectares, has a historical significance to rival its size.

Enlarged in the 1960s, Tian'anmen Square now measures 880 meters from north to south, 500 meters from east to west and can accommodate up to one million people. Classical Beijing planning however, did not permit public squares. They were seen largely as dangerous places where crowds could gather and diverted attention and focus away from the Emperor. Tian'anmen Square is therefore, one of Beijing's most modern sites and largely Mao's concoction. The May 4th demonstrations in 1919 against the Treaty of Versailles took place here. So too did anti Japanese protests in 1935. Mao inspected his troops here during the Cultural revolution and in 1976, one million people gathered in the square to pay tribute to the Chairman. Today, visitors remember the square mostly for the images of the 1989 student demonstrations in this concrete mass which were relayed throughout the world.

The incredible size of the square, the gray colour of the surrounding buildings, the historical memories and the various monuments dotted about, leave some Western visitors unmoved by Tian'anmen. But the sheer wealth of historical sites and the political importance of the area make it a must- see for travelers to Beijing. This is not only the physical centre of China, but also the centre of power and politics. For Chinese visitors, the site is of utmost importance. Today, it's filled with tourists visiting Chairman Mao's tomb, or paying their respects at the monument to the heroes of the Revolution. In the evenings, after the ceremonial lowering of the flag, courting couples and families parade the heart of the city. The easiest approach to the square is from the south, where there's a bus terminus and a subway stop. The Chinese flag is raised at sunrise and lowered at sunset when PLA soldiers march up and down, drilled to perform at 108 paces per minute!

Tiananmen Gate sits in the north; Monument to the Peoples Heroes sits at the center; the Great Hall of the People sits opposite the Museum of Chinese Revolutionary History and the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall on the east and west; and Qian Men stands at the southern end of the Square.

Tian'anmen or The Gate of Heavenly Peace

Tian'anmen, the main entrance to the Forbidden City, is a symbol of the nation and an image of China projected not just on banknotes, coins and stamps, but worldwide. When the gate was first built in the 15th Century, it had five gateways and was the main door to the imperial city. Until 1911, and the overthrow of the Ming and Qing dynasties, this was the entrance to the "forbidden area" for ordinary people and only imperial families and aristocrats were permitted to go through the gate. The most important function of the Gate Tower was to provide a platform for great ceremonies- the enthronement of an emperor or Mao's proclamation of the Peoples Republic of China. And it's the huge portrait of Mao (one of the few remaining on public display) which most Chinese flock to. The portrait is surrounded by two slogans. On the left, the motto "Long Live the People's Republic of China", to the right, "Long Live the Great Union between the Peoples of the World". Today, you can climb up the Gate Tower (RMB 30 for foreigners and RMB 10 for Chinese) and view Tian'anmen Square itself

Situated in the south of the Square, Qianmen is one of the original nine city gates and was the front door to the inner city. It was first built in 1420 A.D. during the Ming Dynasty. Now that the city walls have disappeared, it jars slightly against its surrounds, but gives a good overview of the square. The gate is 33 metres high, and directly faces the Gate of Heavenly Peace. (Open daily 9am to 4pm).

Standing in the middle of the Square, and occupying more than 3000 square meters, is the Monument to the People's Heroes. The 36 metre high monument is made from Qingdao granite with relief sculptures depicting modern Chinese history, and surrounded by two marble rails.

Built in 1977, the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall is situated in the south of the square. The Memorial is divided into three parts, the Northern Hall, the Hall for Paying Respects, and the Southern Hall, all decorated with flowers from throughout the country. The body of Chairman Mao is in the Hall of Paying Respects and Mao's corpse is draped with a red flag. The corpse itself is frozen every evening and then mechanically raised every morning. As such, it has a very unrealistic appearance, resembling a plastic or wax mannequin. The main interest in a visit to the memorial is in experiencing the atmosphere, and the reverence that the Chinese hold for the Memorial. Once you've been herded through the Hall, you'll be greeted by an amazing array of tacky Mao souvenirs. (Open daily from 8.30-11.30am and 1-3.30pm.) (Free entry)

The Great Hall of the People Standing to the west of the Square, is the real political hub of Beijing and home to the National People's Congress. This enormous building is open to the public when Congress is not in session. Visitors are shown a selection of rooms, many of these are named after provinces and regions in China and decorated accordingly. The most impressive room is the 5,000 seater banquet hall. If you do take a look in here, you'll be following in the footsteps of the rich and famous. The guest list includes Mikhail Gorbachev, (who had to enter through the back door to avoid demonstrators), Margaret Thatcher (who tripped and fell on her way in), and Richard Nixon (who made it in safe!).

In the east of the square and opposite the Great Hall of the People are two museums housed in the same building: the Museum of Chinese History, covering the period up to 1919, and the Museum of the Revolution. The Museum of Chinese History is worth a visit, even though there are no English captions. There is some interesting stuff there waiting to be discovered! The building itself was voted one of the top ten buildings in China in the 1950s.

Open: Tuesday to Sunday 8.30am-3.30pm.

How to get there: Bus No. 1, 2,4,5,9,10,22,44; trolley bus No. 110,116 and the metro all take you direct.