Tiananmen Square Beijing

Tiananmen Square is a must-see for a Beijing tour. It is also the largest city square in the world, with 440,000 square meters and 880 meters from north to south and 500 meters from east to west, and can hold one million people for public celebration or gatherings. Thousands of people come to the Square every day. It is the must place to visit in Beijing City. It is also a relaxing place for the common people to fly kites and walk. On a holiday, the whole square is covered with fresh flowers everywhere.

Highlights of the Tiananmen Square

• 1. Tiananmen Gate
  Also called Gate of Heavenly Peace, Tiananmen Gate sits to the north of the Tiananmen Square, separating it from, and connecting it to, the Forbidden City. It was on the rostrum of Tiananmen Gate that Mao Zedong declared the People's Republic of China on October 1st 1949, which is why a large portrait of Mao hangs from the rostrum of Tiananmen Gate. The two red signs say: "Long live the People's Republic of China" and "Long live the great union of the peoples of the world".
  Ticket: $3
  Opening Hours: 08:30 – 17:00
• 2. Attending the National Flag Raising Ceremony Every Morning
  The national flag is raised daily at sunrise and lowered at sunset. The procession for this comes through Tiananmen gate, which is closed behind the procession – so as to see the flag raising and lowering, be on the square side of Tiananmen gate (or up on the rostrum).
• 3. Monument to People's Heroes
  Standing in the center of Tiananmen Square and north of the Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao, the Monument to People's Heroes, together with Tiananmen and Zhengyangmen form a harmonious and consistent building complex. The Monument to the People's Heroes is a square building, covering an area of 3,000 square meters, composed of three parts: the body, the Buddhist-style base, and the pedestal, reaching as tall as 37.94m.
• 4. Great Hall of the People
  The Great Hall of the People lies to the west of Tiananmen Square and south of the West Chang'an Street. It is where the National People's Congress is held and also where state leaders hold diplomatic meetings and the masses stage political activities. It was built in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the founding of PRC. Facing east, the hall covers an area of 150,000 square meters, 336m long from south to north, 206m wide from east to west and 46.5m high. The building area of the Great Hall of the People reaches to 171,800 square meters, even larger than that of the Forbidden City, hence the largest among hall structures in the world.
  Ticket: $5
  Opening Hours: Open to the public around the year, except for the national conferences or other significant political activities.
• 5. Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao
  Memorial Hall of Chairman Map situated at the south side of the Square, divided into three halls and Chairman Mao's body lies in a crystal coffin in one of the halls surrounded by fresh bouquets of various famous flowers and grasses. It covers an area of 57.2 thousand square meters, 220m from east to west and 280m from south to north. It is free of charge for a visit.
• 6. National Museum of China
  Located to the east of Tiananmen Square and south to East Chang'an Street, opposite to Great Hall of the People, National Museum of China is an inclusive museum of time-honored Chinese culture and history on the basis of former Museum of Chinese History and former Museum of Chinese Revolution. It is free of charge for a visit, open to the public at 9:00 to 17:00 daily. Click here to know more information about Beijing tour including Beijing museum.

How to get there

1. By Subway 

1.  Subway Line 1: get off at Tiananmen East or Tiananmen West Station
2. Subway Line 2: get off at Qianmen Station an walk north

2. By Bus

1. Take bus no.1, 5, 10, 22, 37, 52, 205, 728 or 802 and get off at Tiananmen West.
2. Take bus no.1, 2, 10, 20, 37, 52, 59, 82, 120, 126, 203, 205, 210, 728 or 802 and get off at Tiananmen East.
3. Take bus no.2, 5, 8, 20, 22, 120, 126, 203, or 210 and get off at Tiananmen Square East.
4. Take bus no.2, 5, 20, 120, 126 or 210 and get off at Tiananmen Square West.

Weather – Best Time to Go

You can go to the Tiananmen Square anytime of the year, because the beautiful Beijing presents different features for its clear distinction of four seasons. There are thousands of people from home or abroad every day for a visit.

Travel Tips

• * You have to be as early as you can to arrive at the Square before sunrise, because there are crowds of people attending the ceremony every day.
• * The renowned Forbidden City is reached through Tiananmen Gate.
• * No cameras, videos devices, beverage or bags are allowed inside of the Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao.