Beijing, China Travel Guide
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Tiananmen Square (天安门广场)
Tiananmen Square in Beijing
Overview: You can’t visit Beijing without walking the vast grounds of Tiananmen Square. Tiananmen (Gate of Heavenly Peace) Square lies just south of the Forbidden City and is 440,000 square meters. It was constructed between two gates: Zhengyangmen, or Qianmen, which means “front gate,” at the south on Qianmen street and Tiananmen at the north. was built in the early 1400’s during the Ming Dynasty and was the door to the Forbidden City. This vast ground square features the following: Mao Zedong Memorial Hall, which lies at the south end of the square; Monument to the People’s Heroes, which lies at the center of the square; Great Hall of the People, which lies just west of the square; the China National Museum, which lies to the east of the square; the Tiananmen Tower and the national flag at the north end of the square.
Tiananmen Square is a community place that’s abuzz. You must visit Tiananmen Square during sunset when kids and adults alike run around and fly their beautiful kites. The locals can perform some amazing kite tricks. Visitors and locals perch themselves on the ground and hang out, sitting or squatting. There are a few vendors selling drinks and each side has security checking bags.
Tiananmen Square in Beijing
Tiananmen Square is a place where you get a real and poignant ense of the history. This is where Mao Zedong declared the People’s Republic of China in 1949 and where the massacre of 2,600 Chinese protesters occured in 1989. It’s one great place to people watch and most certainly, one of the top tourist attractions anywhere.
Location: Dongcheng, Beijing
Cost: Free
Accessibility: The square itself is one of the most accessible tourist attractions anywhere. Tiananmen Square is an open space with flat concrete ground. You can enter the square from a few different directions. There are flat, smooth crosswalks on the east and west of the square towwards the middle/north end of square. If you’re across the street on the north end on Chang’an, use the tunnel at the west end of the square. There’s a long ramp down to the tunnel and a handicap sign in front of the ramp.
Getting There: If you’re staying close to the Forbidden City wheel. Tiananmen Square is just at the entrance of the Forbidden City. Otherwise, cab it.