Tiananmen Square

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Tiananmen Square

Highlights:
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.It is truly the heart of Beijing.

Brief Introduction
At the north end of the Square is Tiananmen Tower. Initially built in 1417 during the Ming Dynasty (1368 A.D.- 1644 A.D.), the Square was the front door of the Forbidden City. The most important use of it in the past was to declare in a big ceremony to the common people who became the emperor and who became the empress. Until 1911 when the last feudal kingdom was over, no one could enter the Tower except for the royal family and aristocrats.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, didn't 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.

Tian'anmen Gate (Gate of Heavenly Peace) was built in the 15th century and restored in the 17th century. From imperial days, the yellow glaze-tiled double-eave tower functioned as a rostrum for proclaiming pronouncements to the assembled masses. On October 1, 1949, Chairman Mao Zedong proclaimed the founding of the new China here. The tower has five doors and in front of it are seven bridges spanning a stream. Only the emperor could use the central door and bridge. On the top of the central door is a gigantic portrait of Chairman Mao with slogans on each side saying 'Long Live the People's Republic of China' and 'Long Live the Unity of the Peoples of the World'. The gate leads to the imperial city -- the Forbidden City.

Right beside a pair of marble lions in front of the Tian'anmen Gate stand obelisk marble columns engraved with entwining dragons and clouds -- an ornamental architecture called Hua Biao. Its history can be traced back to the Yao and Shun, legendary kings in remote antiquity. It is said that, to improve the quality of governance, wooden crosses were erected at marketplaces for people to write down complaints. During the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), wooden posts were replaced by stone pillars, which gradually developed into the sumptuous columns that lead to palace gates. Hua Biao can usually be found in imperial gardens and mausoleums.
On top of the Hua Biao is a plate-like disc called Chenglupan (dew-collecting) on which squats an animal called Kong (a legendary animal for keeping guard) facing the south. They were called "Wangjungui" or "looking forward to the emperor's return", which watched over the emperor's excursions and called him back. The couple inside the gate facing north, called Wangjunchu or "looking forward to the emperor's progress", was considered to supervise the emperor's behavior in the court when he neglect court affairs.

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Tour Beijing Travel Service
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Transpotation to Tian’anmen Square
Bus Route: No. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Subway: Line 1 for Tian’anmen StopTax: Starting Price is 10 RMB in the day, 11 RBM in the night.