The Great Hall of the People

The Great Hall of the People

The Great Hall of the People is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

The Great Hall of the People is located on the west side of Tiananmen Square in the center of Beijing, and on the south side of West Chang’an Avenue. It is the meeting place of the National People’s Congress of China, serving as the office space for both the NPC and its Standing Committee. It is an important venue for political activities held by the Communist Party, the state, and various people's organizations, as well as a place where China’s national leaders and the public engage in political, diplomatic, and cultural events.

The construction of the Great Hall of the People originated from the 10th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1959. The Communist Party of China, the Central People’s Government, and the State Council decided to build ten major structures to showcase the construction achievements of the past decade. These buildings aimed to achieve harmony between architectural art, urban planning, and the humanistic environment. The Great Hall of the People was one of the Ten Great Buildings constructed for the 10th anniversary of the founding of the nation. It was entirely designed and built by Chinese engineers and workers. Construction began in October 1958 and was completed in September 1959—taking just over ten months. This remarkable achievement marked a milestone in the history of Chinese architecture. Materials for the Great Hall were gathered from all over the country, and construction workers worked overtime to complete everything—from design blueprints to interior and exterior decoration and equipment installation—within just ten months.

When it was first built, the structure was called the “Ten Thousand People’s Auditorium.” On September 24, 1959, after its completion, then-Premier Zhou Enlai invited a group of experts to visit and inspect the building, asking them to suggest a name. The renowned bridge engineer Mao Yisheng wrote the words “Great Hall of the People” on a piece of paper. Later, the “Ten Thousand People’s Auditorium” was officially named the “Great Hall of the People.”

The Great Hall of the People faces east and measures 336 meters in length from north to south, 206 meters in width from east to west, and 46.5 meters in height. It covers a site area of 150,000 square meters and has a floor area of 171,800 square meters—larger than the entire floor space of the Forbidden City. Majestic and imposing in appearance, the building has a “mountain” shaped floor plan, with slightly lower wings and a slightly higher central section, and doors on all four sides. The exterior is clad in light yellow granite, with yellow and green glazed tile roofs, a 5-meter-high granite base, and 134 tall circular columns surrounding the perimeter. The main entrance of the Great Hall faces Tiananmen Square, featuring the national emblem of the People’s Republic of China above the door lintel. Twelve light gray marble columns stand at the entrance, each 2 meters in diameter and 25 meters high. There are also 5-meter-high granite steps in front of each of the four entrances. The architectural style of the Great Hall is solemn, grand, magnificent, and elegant, with distinctive national characteristics. Together with the layered structures around it, it forms a majestic and splendid panorama of Tiananmen Square. Its interior is fully equipped with modern facilities such as sound, lighting, temperature control, automatic fire alarm, and firefighting systems. The Great Hall consists mainly of three parts: upon entering is the simple and elegant Central Hall (which functions as a foyer without seating). Behind it lies the vast 76-meter-wide and 60-meter-deep Great Auditorium that can seat ten thousand people; the north wing of the main hall houses the 5,000-seat Great Hall of the Banquet; the south wing contains the office building of the NPC Standing Committee. The auditorium also includes halls named after various provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions across China, each reflecting local characteristics.

The Great Hall of the People hosts the annual sessions of the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (commonly known as the “Two Sessions”). It is also the venue for the once-every-five-years National Congress of the Communist Party of China. Currently, the Great Hall of the People is open to the public.

On December 19, 2007, the Beijing Municipal Commission of Urban Planning and the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Cultural Relics, with the approval of the Beijing Municipal Government, included the Great Hall of the People in the “Beijing Excellent Modern Architectural Heritage Protection List (First Batch).”

Time Needed for Visit

1 hour

Transportation

Bus: Routes 1, 2, 5, 8, 9, 10, 17, 20, 22, 37, 44, 48, 52, 59, 66, 67, 69, 71, 82, 90, 99, 120, 126, 201, 203, 205, 209, 210, 212, 301, 337, 608, 626, 646, 673, 690, 692, 723, 728, 729, 901 Express, Special Line 2, Special Line 4, Special Line 7, Special Line 11, Bus Line 1 (Special), Bus Line 2 (Special), and Bus Rapid Transit Line 1.

Subway: Line 1 Tiananmen West Station, Line 2 Qianmen Station

Admission Fee

Adults: 30 RMB, Students: 15 RMB

Opening Hours

January, February, March, December: 9:00–14:00

April, May, June: 8:15–15:00

July, August: 7:30–16:00

September, October, November: 8:30–15:00

Location

West side of Tiananmen Square, West Chang’an Avenue, Xicheng District