Tian’anmen Square sits in the heart of Beijing, East Chang'an Avenue, Dongcheng District. It lies between two ancient massive gates—Tian’anmen Gate to the north and Zhengyangmen Gate to the south, bordering the National Museum of China to the east and the Great Hall of the People to the west. Tian’anmen Square is 880 meters long from north to south and 500 meters wide from east to west, covering an area of 440,000 square meters. As the largest city square in the world, it could hold one million people for a grand meeting.
The ground of Tian’anmen Square is paved with specially processed light-colored granite stones. The solemn Monument to the People’s Heroes and Chairman Mao Memorial Hall stand in the middle of the square. On one side of Tian’anmen Gate is the Working People’s Cultural Palace; on the other side is the Zhongshan Park. These magnificent buildings, together with Tian’anmen Gate, combine to form Tian’anmen Square. In 1986, Tian’anmen Square was crowned as one of the newly selected sixteen sights of Beijing, named “Tian’an Liri (good weather in Tian’anmen)”.
Tian’anmen Square witnessed the inexorable, dauntless and revolutionary Chinese people. The May Fourth Movement, the December 9th Movement and the May Twentieth Movement have all left an indelible mark of the modern Chinese revolutionary history here. At the same time, it is also the place where numerous major political and historical events took place. It is the historical witness of China's rise.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Tian’anmen Square was a palace square outside the main entrance of the Forbidden City in Beijing. The east, west and south sides of the square were walled to create an area where the ordinary people were denied access. Tian’anmen Square stretches from Tian’anmen Gate in the north to Zhengyangmen Gate in the south and from the National Museum of China in the east and to the Great Hall of the People in the west. With a length of 880 meters from south to north and a width of 500 meters from east to west, Tian’anmen Square covers an area of 440,000 square meters and can accommodate one million people for a grand meeting. In the center of the square stand the Monument to the People's Heroes and the solemn Chairman Mao Memorial Hall. On the west side of the square is the Great Hall of the People, on the east side is the National Museum of China, and on the south side are two ancient towers built in the 14th century—Zhengyangmen and Zhengyangmen arrow tower. Tian’anmen gate tower is located at the northern end of the square. With a total height of 33.7 meters, Tian’anmen Gate has five guiding towers and is supported by nine principle columns. On both sides of Tian’anmen Gate are the Working People's Cultural Palace and Zhongshan Park. These magnificent buildings, together with Tian’anmen Gate, combine to form Tian’anmen Square—a great scenic spot in Beijing.
