Heavenly Tranquility Square (Tiananmen) is located right in the centre of Beijing and covers an area of 44 hectares. From the gates of the square the emperor once proclaimed decrees, and in the 1950s Mao Zedong proclaimed the declaration announcing the founding of the People's Republic of China.
Tiananmen Square is literally the heart of Beijing, a place for tourists and locals with children to promenade, from here kites are flown, photos are taken against the backdrop of the national symbols of the country surrounding the square from all sides.
The square can accommodate up to 1 million people, it is the largest in the world. The square gained its truly enormous size after 1949.
Tiananmen Square was built in the early 15th century, at that stage it was noticeably smaller. It is likely that Emperor Ju Di, who decided to establish the square, was much less enthusiastic about gigantomania than Mao Zedong's henchmen, who expanded the square to 44 hectares in the late 1950s.
The massive Monument to the People's Heroes stands in the centre of the square. Its bas-reliefs reflect the most important stages of the revolutionary struggle of the country's people. On the south side of the square is the Mao Zedong Memorial House, which was opened in August 1977. Its central part is dedicated to a memorial hall where the remains of the notorious leader are kept. The building also houses a number of memorial halls dedicated to the lives of Liu Shaoqi, Zhou Enlan, Zhu De and other famous revolutionary figures.
On the west side of the square is the People's Representative Assembly House, and on the east side are the country's Historical Museum and the Museum of the Chinese Revolution.
At the hour of dawn and dusk, Tiananmen Square hosts a daily ceremony of raising and lowering the country's national flag. The pomp of this ceremony attracts a lot of attention from tourists and patriotic locals alike. Many people try to get a place close to the state shrine in advance.
A special atmosphere in the square is created by kite flyers. Tiananmen is a great place to watch this traditional Chinese pastime. On holidays, the square is decorated with lanterns and flowers.
Tiananmen is one of the most important landmarks in Beijing.
