BEIJING, CHINA: Tiananmen Square

Compiled by Heather Hopkins Clement

Along with the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square is one of the top “most dos” when visiting Beijing. 

Here is a sampling of what various travel guides have to say on the subject:

FODOR’S:

Walking beneath the red flags of Tiananmen Square is quintessential Beijing. The political heart of modern China, the square covers 100 acres, making it the largest public square in the world. It was from the Gate of Heavenly Peace that Mao Zedong pronounced the People's Republic of China in 1949. Many Westerners think only of the massive student protests here in the 1980s; in fact, it has been the site of protests throughout history.

FROMMER’S:

• Hours
  8am-4:30pm in summer; 8:30am-4pm in winter
• Location
  North of Tian'an Men Sq.; ticket office to left as you enter
• Prices
  Admission ¥20 ($2.65/£1.35) in summer, ¥15 ($2/£1) in winter
• Other
  Mandatory bag storage (¥2-¥6/25¢-80¢/15p-40p) behind and to left of ticket booth; cameras allowed

This gate is the largest in what was once known as the Imperial City and the most emblematic of Chinese government grandeur. Above the central door, once reserved for the emperor, now hangs the famous portrait of Mao, flanked by inscriptions that read: LONG LIVE THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA (left) and LONG LIVE THE GREAT UNITY OF THE PEOPLES OF THE WORLD (right). Mao declared the founding of the People's Republic from atop the gate on October 1, 1949. There is no charge to walk through, but tickets are required if you want to ascend to the upper platform for worthwhile views of Tian'an Men Square. You might imagine yourself as the Great Helmsman addressing a sea of Red Guards, all struggling to understand your thick Hunan accent while waving your little red book. Note the pair of huabiao (ornamental columns) topped with lions, wreathed in dragons and clouds, and facing the square. In their original form, huabiao were wooden posts in the shapes of a battle-axes, upon which subjects would attach petitions or scrawl their grievances to the king. Over time, their function was reversed. Turned to stone and wreathed in the ultimate symbol of the emperor's mandate -- the dragon -- they became a warning to the ruled to keep out.

LONELY PLANET:

• Phone:  6524 3322
• Transport:  bus: 1, 4, 10, 22, 52, 57
  underground rail: Tiananmen Xi, Tiananmen Dong or Qianmen
• 08:30 - 16:30

The world's largest public square, Tiananmen Sq is a vast desert of paving stones at the heart of Běijīng. It may be a grandiose, Maoist tourist trap, but the view is breathtaking on a clear day and at nightfall. Kites flit through the sky, children stamp around and Chinese out-of-towners huddle together for the obligatory photo opportunity.

Mao conceived the square to project the enormity of the Communist Party, so it's all a bit Kim Il Sung-ish. During the Cultural Revolution the chairman reviewed parades of up to a million people here. In 1976 another million people jammed the square to pay their last respects to Mao. In 1989 army tanks and soldiers forced pro-democracy demonstrators out of the square.

Surrounding the square is a mishmash of monuments, past and present: the Gate of Heavenly Peace; the Museum of Chinese History and Museum of the Chinese Revolution; the Great Hall of the People; the Front Gate; the Chairman Mao Mausoleum, where you can purchase Mao memorabilia and catch a glimpse of the man himself (when his mortuary make-up isn't being refreshed); and the Monument to the People's Heroes

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC:

The world's largest (99 acres) public square—surprisingly devoid of trees, benches, and other boundary-setting details. Gape at the sheer scale, and imagine Mao declaring the birth of a nation, Red Guards agitating for revolution, and tanks pushing back hundreds of student demonstrators. At dawn, uniformed military guards raise China's flag. Free. Chang'an Jie to the north, and Qianmen Dajie to the south.

NEW YORK TIMES:

Start your sightseeing at Tiananmen Square, said to be the largest public square in the world. Built by Mao after he assumed power in 1949, the 100-acre square is the political focal point of China. During the Cultural Revolution, from 1966 to 1976, Mao occasionally reviewed hundreds of thousands of Red Guards crowded together on the square. Four years ago, a million protesters swarmed around the square demanding democracy, until the tanks rolled in and opened fire, killing hundreds and wounding thousands. Visitors should be aware that the June 3-4 anniversary of the army's suppression of the movement is approaching. It is a time when Beijing is particularly tense, and tourists should be careful not to photograph anything that might upset the authorities. Last year several foreign journalists were beaten by police here for photographing protesters and secret police.

Toward the north end of the square is the Mao Zedong Memorial Hall, where the Chairman's embalmed body (some cynics insist it is all wax) can be viewed daily from 8:30 to 11:30 A.M. and from 2 to 4 P.M. on Monday, Tuesday and Friday.

Beyond the hall is Tiananmen, the Gate of Heavenly Peace, the entrance to the Forbidden City. Since the 1960's, Mao's portrait has hung from the gate, although there are perennial debates about whether it should be taken down. In the 1980's, the party opened the Tiananmen rostrum to tourists, for $5.20 a person; it provides a fine view of the square and the city beyond. It was from here, on Oct. 1, 1949, that Mao Zedong -- then a gaunt guerrilla freshly arrived in Beijing -- proclaimed the establishment of the People's Republic.

PETER GREENBERG:

Tiananmen means “gates of heavenly peace,” and today, it’s a somber and impressive place. The square, which is in the geographical center of town, is the largest in the world at roughly 109 acres. Most people think of the famous 1989 student protest when they think of Tiananmen Square, but it’s also the site of the daily Chinese flag ceremonies, which are worth observing. Mao’s tomb is here, as well as several museums, monuments, notable architecture, and landscaping.