The mausoleum was built soon after Mao's death on September 9, 1976. The groundbreaking ceremony took place November 24, 1976 and the mausoleum was completed on May 24, 1977.

People throughout China were involved in the design and construction of the mausoleum, with 700,000 people from different provinces, autonomous regions, and nationalities doing symbolic voluntary labor. Materials from all over China were used throughout the building: granite from Sichuan province, porcelain plates from Guangdong province, pine trees from Yan'an in Shaanxi province, saw-wort seeds from the Tian Shan mountains in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, earth from quake-stricken Tangshan, colored pebbles from Nanjing, milky quartz from the Kunlun Mountains, pine logs from Jiangxi province, and rock samples from Mount Everest. The mausoleum was closed for renovations for nine months in 1977 before reopening on September 20.

Note: The lineup to get into the mausoleum gets very long as early as 9 am, so get there early to secure your spot.

Hours: Tues-Sun: 8 am - noon

Transportation Beijing Subway Station: Qianmen Station

Admission: Free