Tiananmen Square is one of the largest city center squares in the world and it is truly the heart of Beijing. You must have seen it on TV, but pictures can’t do justice to its immense size. It is 880 meters from north to south and 500 meters from east to west. Below are the symbol building on standing on the square.

Tiananmen Tower
Tiananmen Tower is 34.7 meters high. On October 1, 1949, Chairman Mao stood here on the rostrum and proclaimed the founding of the People's Republic of China. Probably that is why, even today, the portrait of Chairman Mao is still seen on the outside of the rostrum.

The Monument to the People's Heroes
In the center of Tiananmen Square stands the Monument to the People's Heroes almost 38 meters high. It was built to commemorate those soldiers who fell fighting in the revolution. Two inscriptions in gilded characters decorate the body of the monument. On the south side it reads: "Eternal glory to the People's Heroes, those who died during the last three years of the War of Liberation and during the past three decades of Revolution! Eternal glory to the People's Heroes, those who died in the struggles against foreign and domestic enemies for national independence and for the people’s freedom and happiness from 1840 on!" On the north side it reads: "The People's Heroes are immortal!"

Chairman Mao Memorial Hall
At the southern end of Tiananmen Square you will find Chairman Mao Memorial Hall. It is a relatively new structure, construction began in 1976 after the death of Mao Zedong and completed in 1977. Actually, the construction of this Memorial Hall went against his wishes. He was one of the first high-ranking officials to sign up for cremation, a procedure that was shunned by the superstitious population. This disobedience was, of course, well meant, as the people only wanted to honor the man for all he had done to help found the People's Republic.

The Great Hall of the People
The Great Hall of the People is located on the western edge of Tiananmen Square. It was one of the structures built in Beijing to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the People's Republic of China in 1959. The Great Hall of the People is 336 meters long from north to south, 206 meters wide from east to west, and 46.5 meters high at the highest point. The facilities inside the hall are very sophisticated, including the language booth for simultaneous interpretation.

National Museum of China
National Museum of China is located on the eastern side of Tiananmen Square. Same as the Great Hall of the People, it is also built in 1959 to mark the 10th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic. The Museum displays three main periods of Chinese history: Primitive Society, ranges from 1.7 million years ago to 21st century B.C; Slave Society section cover the time from 2,100 B.C. to 475 B.C. The Feudal Society exhibits focus on the period from 221 B.C. to 1911.

As the heart of the capital city, it is the must see for first time Beijing visitors.