Tiananmen

　　Tiananmen Square — The World’s Largest Capital Square

　　Tiananmen Square, the heart of China, is a grand and imposing square and also the largest city center square in the world. Over the decades, Tiananmen Square has undergone three major renovations and expansions. The resplendent Tiananmen Gate Tower stands at the northern end of the square, the Five-Star Red Flag flies high above, the Monument to the People's Heroes stands in the center, and the solemn Great Hall of the People and the magnificent Museum of the Chinese Revolution and History stand opposite each other on the east and west sides. The Chairman Mao Memorial Hall and the newly painted Zhengyangmen Gate Tower stand in the southern part of the square.

　　Tiananmen Square was originally shaped like an inverted “凸” character. During the Ming Dynasty, it was called “Damingmen” (Gate of Great Ming), during the Qing Dynasty “Daqingmen” (Gate of Great Qing), and during the Republic of China period “Zhonghuamen” (Gate of China); at that time, the square was a forbidden area where ordinary people were strictly prohibited from entering—even glancing over could be considered the serious crime of “peeking at the palace gate.” Therefore, people traveling from the eastern part of the city to the western part had to detour either south of Damingmen or north of Di’anmen. Even upon reaching the gate, they had to dismount and walk—showing how sacred the square was.

　　During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the most important central government offices were located on both sides of the square. In the Ming Dynasty, the east side housed the Ministry of Rites, Ministry of Revenue, Ministry of Personnel, Imperial Clan Court, Ministry of Works, and the Imperial Observatory; the west side included the Five Military Commander-in-Chief Agencies in charge of military command, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, the Office of Transmission, and the secret police agency, the Embroidered Uniform Guard. In the Qing Dynasty, the west side was changed to house the Ministry of Punishments, the Censorate, and the Court of Judicial Review, many of which were judicial bodies at the time.

　　After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Tiananmen Square truly became a people’s square, and many large-scale celebratory events have been held here.

　　Tiananmen

　　Tiananmen stands to the north of Tiananmen Square and has a history of over 570 years. It was first built in the 15th year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty (1417 AD), originally named “Chengtianmen,” meaning “Receiving the Mandate from Heaven” and “Heaven Bestowed the Rule.” It served as the main gate to the Forbidden City.

　　Tiananmen is 33.7 meters tall in total. At the base is a white marble Sumeru pedestal, atop which is a red platform over 10 meters high, built from bricks each weighing 43 kilograms. The tower above the platform is nine bays wide from east to west and five bays deep from north to south, using the imperial numbers “nine” and “five” to signify the emperor’s supreme status.

　　In the late Qing Dynasty, due to the corruption of China’s feudal rulers and the invasion of foreign colonialists, Tiananmen also suffered devastation. In 1900, the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded Beijing, looted and bombarded Tiananmen. After that, weeds grew on the tower, leaving it desolate and dilapidated.

　　On October 1, 1949, Tiananmen finally gained a new life. After the founding of the nation, the Tiananmen Tower underwent several renovations and officially opened to the public on January 1, 1988. Within just a few years, by the end of April 1994, the Tiananmen Tower had received 6.79 million domestic and international visitors, averaging nearly 3,000 visitors per day, with up to 10,000 visitors during peak tourist seasons. The Tiananmen Tower now greets visitors from around the world with a brand-new look.

　　Ornamental Columns (Huabiao)

　　A pair of white marble ornamental columns stands to the south of the Golden Water Bridge at Tiananmen. These columns have a long history in China. The Huabiao in front of Tiananmen were built during the Ming Dynasty’s Yongle era and are over 500 years old, with each weighing 20,000 kilograms. They feature a “dew-catching plate” with a mythical beast on top called a “Hou.”

　　Legend says the Hou faces south during the day and north at night. During the day, it gazes toward the imperial palace, encouraging officials to serve diligently and think often of the emperor; at night, it faces north, symbolizing the people's longing for the emperor's return. On the east side, the Hou also faces south, indicating the ancient capital's direction, while on the west side, it faces north, symbolically pointing toward the northern regions.

　　Website: http://www.tiananmen.org.cn/

　　Mao Zedong (1893–1976)　　Mao Zedong (December 26, 1893 – September 9, 1976), courtesy name Runzhi (originally Yongzhi, later changed to Runzhi), pen name Ziren. A native of Xiangtan, Hunan. He was the leader of the Chinese people, a Marxist, a great proletarian revolutionary, strategist, and theorist, the principal founder and leader of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, and the People’s Republic of China, as well as a poet and calligrapher. From 1949 to 1976, Mao Zedong served as the paramount leader of the People’s Republic of China. His contributions to the development of Marxism-Leninism, military theory, and the theoretical contributions to the Communist Party are collectively known as Mao Zedong Thought. Because Mao...   More+

Tiananmen is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

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