We've got a busy day today - Tiananmen Square in the morning, the Forbidden Palace in the afternoon, and the Beijing Opera in the evening. But first, Tiananmen Square.
Tiananmen Square is a large city square in the centre of Beijing, China. It's named after the Tiananmen Gate (Chinese for "Gate of Heavenly Peace") which is located to the North of the Square. Tiananmen Gate separates the Tiananmen Square from the Forbidden City. The Square is the third largest city square in the world (109 acres - 960 yards by 550 yards). Built in 1651 to complement the Tiananmen Gate (built in 1415-17), Tiananmen Square has been of major significance in marking major events in the culture and history of China.
Outside China, the square is best known in recent memory as the focal point of the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, a movement which ended on 4 June 1989 with the declaration of martial law in Beijing and the death of a large number of protesters.
However, the significance of Tiananmen Square began long before the protests of 1989.
Tiananmen Gate, the entrance to the Forbidden City, was built in 1415 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Towards the end of the Ming Dynasty, heavy fighting between Li Zicheng and the early Qing emperors damaged or perhaps destroyed the gate. Tiananmen Square was designed and built in 1651. In the 1950s it was enlarged to four times its original size.
Near the centre of today's square stood the original "Great Ming Gate", the southern entrance to the Imperial City. It was subsequently renamed "Great Qing Gate" during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). With the advent of the People's Republic of China in the late 1940s, the gate was renamed the "Gate of China" and subsequently the "Gate Of The Nation". Unlike other gates in Beijing, the "Gate of China" was purely ceremonial as it had three arches but no ramparts.
As the entrance to the Forbidden City, the Tiananmen Gate normally remained closed except when the Emperor passed through it. Civilian traffic was diverted to the two side gates at the western and eastern ends of today's square. This diversion gave rise to the busy Chess Grid Streets marketplace, a large fenced square to the south of the original Tiananmen Gate.
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| Panoramic View Of Tiananmen Square From The North |
British and French troops invading Beijing in 1860 pitched camp near Tiananmen Gate and briefly considered burning down the Gate and the entire Forbidden City. However, they spared both and burned down the emperor's Old Summer Palace instead. The Qing emperor eventually agreed to allow foreign powers to establish barracks there. Later on, diplomatic missions were allowed resulting in the "Legation Quarter" immediately to the east of modern-day Tiananmen Square.
The Boxer Rebellion of 1900 badly damaged the office complexes and several ministries were burnt down. In the aftermath of the rebellion, the Legation Quarter became a space for foreign troops to assemble their armies and horses.
In the early 1950s Tiananmen Gate (by this time known as the "Gate of China") was demolished to allow for the enlargement of Tiananmen Square, the objective being to transform the area into a national gathering place for major ceremonies. It was the vision of Mao Zedong to make the square the largest and most spectacular gathering place in the world with the capacity to hold over 500,000 people. In November 1958 a major expansion of Tiananmen Square started and was completed in August 1959.
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| Tiananmen Square From The North - Early 1900's |
In developing Tiananmen Square into this vision, a large number of residential buildings and other structures were demolished. In their place, a number of new monuments were built as part of China's "Ten Great Buildings" program to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the People's Republic of China. On the southern edge of the Square, the "Monument to the People's Heroes" was erected. On the western and eastern sides the "Great Hall of The People" and the "Revolutionary History Museum" (now the "National Museum of China") were built.
The year after Mao's death in 1976, a Mausoleum was built near the site of the former "Gate of China" on the main north-south axis of the square. At the same time, the square was increased in size to become fully rectangular with the capability to accommodate 600,000 persons. Tiananmen Square was further altered in the 1990s with the construction of the "National Grand Theatre" in its vicinity and the expansion of the "National Museum of China".
Structures of Tiananmen Square
Tiananmen Gate
At the north end of Tiananmen Square is Tiananmen Gate. Initially built in 1415-17 during the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), the Gate was the front door to the Forbidden City. Its most important use in the past was to declare ascension of the new emperor and empress. Until 1911 when the last feudal kingdom was over, no one could enter the Gate except for the royal family and aristocrats.
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| Tian'anmen Gate |
Monument to the People's Heroes
Built in 1952, the granite "Monument to the People's Heroes" is in the middle of Tiananmen Square and is the largest monument in China's history. A poem, "The People's Heroes are Immortal", written by Chairman Mao Zedong, is engraved on the monument. Eight large relief sculptures show the development of Chinese modern history. Two tiers of white marble railings enclose the monument.
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| Monument To The Peoples' Heroes |
Great Hall of the People
Erected in 1959 on the west side of Tiananmen Square, the Great Hall of the People is the site of China's National People's Congress meetings, the equivalent of our Canadian Parliament and particularly our House of Commons. It provides an impressive location for political and diplomatic activities. Twelve marble posts are in front of the Hall. The Hall is grouped into three sections - the Central Hall, the Great Auditorium, and a Banqueting Hall. The floor of the Central Hall is paved with marble and crystal lamps hang from the ceiling. The Great Auditorium behind the Central Hall seats 10,000. The Banqueting Hall seats 5,000 persons.
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| Great Hall of the People At Night |
Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao
Located on the south side of Tiananmen Square, the "Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao" is further divided into three halls. Always surrounded by fresh bouquets of various flowers and grasses, the body of Chairman Mao Zedong lies in a crystal coffin in one of the three halls. Mao Zedong was a key player in the Chinese revolution and was Chairman of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China from 1943 onwards. He was Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China from 1945 until his death in 1976. The history of the Chinese revolution is a separate story in itself with Chairman Mao playing a major role in the history of China's struggles from the 1920s to the mid 1970s.
If you want to know more about China's political and economic evolution in the 20th century, we recommend you read "Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China" by Ezra Vogel.
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| Memorial Hall Of Chairman Mao |
National Museum of China
Built in 2003 and located on the east side of Tiananmen Square, the China National Museum consists of two museums - the Chinese History Museum and the Chinese Revolutionary Museum. Housing a large number of cultural relics, the Chinese History Museum illustrates the long history and culture of China from 1.7 million years ago to 1921 when the last emperor left the throne. Through numerous material objects, pictures, books, dioramas and models, the Chinese Revolutionary Museum shows the development of modern-day China.
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| National Museum of China |
National Flag-Raising Ceremony At Tiananmen Square
The national capital of every country has a daily ceremony to commemorate its history, tradition, or significant events. For Ottawa and London, it is perhaps the "Changing of the Guard". For China, it is the raising of the national flag of China - the Five-Star Red Flag (the Chinese national flag) - over Tiananmen Square. The raising of the flag is a must for anyone visiting Beijing. However, you have to get up very early and arrive at Tiananmen Square before sunrise as crowds of people attend the ceremony every day. The flag-raising takes place between 05:40 and 06:10, depending on the time of the year. The reviewing stands flank Tiananmen Gate on the west and east sides of the Square.
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| National Flag-Raising Ceremony At Tiananmen Square |
Continuing with Day 3 of the itinerary, we will go to the north end of Tiananmen Squre and visit the Forbidden City!
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