Tiananmen Square 天安门广场

Tiananmen Square lies at the heart of Beijing, on East Chang'an Avenue in Dongcheng District. It runs from Tiananmen Gate in the north to Zhengyang Gate in the south, with the National Museum of China to the east and the Great Hall of the People to the west. It measures 880 metres north to south and 500 metres east to west, covers 440,000 square metres and can hold a million people at a grand gathering, making it the largest city square in the world.

Under the Ming and Qing emperors this ground was enclosed and barred to ordinary residents. In modern times it witnessed the May Fourth, December Ninth and May Twentieth movements, and on 1 October 1949 Mao Zedong proclaimed the People's Republic from the gate at its northern end. After 1949 the square was widened and the Monument to the People's Heroes rose at its centre, followed by the Great Hall of the People to the west, the museum to the east and the Mao Zedong Memorial Hall to the south.

The gate building, rebuilt in 1651, stands 33.7 metres high, fronted by five marble bridges, a pair of stone lions and huabiao columns. Zhongshan Park borders the square on the west and the Palace of Culture for Workers on the east.

Don't miss

• Flag-raising and flag-lowering ceremonies, watched from the square
• Tiananmen Gate, 33.7 metres tall with five arched gateways
• Monument to the People's Heroes, 37.94 metres tall at the centre
• National Museum of China, holding over 1.4 million objects
• Zhengyang Gate, more than 600 years old, on the central axis

Visiting tips

Book through the official WeChat mini-program or the reservation website before you go, and bring the passport you registered with. Individuals and tour groups may reserve up to ten days ahead. Allow about an hour, and expect security checks.