Tiananmen Square

Tiananmen Square is called Tiān’ānmén Guǎngchǎng in Chinese.

Tiananmen Square is a large square in the middle of Beijing, which received its name from Tiananmen gate at the northern end of the square. The square has a great cultural significance in China where it has been the site of many historic events, including founding the People’s Republic of China on October 1, 1949. For us in the West, the square is probably best known for the massacre which took place June 4, 1989 after a long period of demonstrations. Hundreds or even thousands of students were shot by the military in or around the square.

Tiananmen Square was built in 1417 during the Ming dynasty. It was renovated and received its present name during the Qing dynasty in 1699, and the square has been as it is today since 1949.

The square is 880 meters long and 500 meters wide, a total of 440,000 square meters, making it the world’s largest square in the city.
On the square stands the 38-meter-high monument for the people’s heroes and even Mao Zedong mausoleum.