Tiananmen Square 天安门广场Tiān'ānmén Guǎngchǎng

Why go to Tiananmen Square

At the centre of Beijing, Tiananmen Square stretches south from Tian'anmen, the 'Gate of Heavenly Peace', to the old city gate of Zhengyangmen, with the Great Hall of the People on its west side and the National Museum of China on its east. Come at sunrise to watch the national flag raised at the north end, then walk south past the Monument to the People's Heroes towards Zhengyangmen, or head north through Tian'anmen, the way into the Forbidden City.

The story

Tian'anmen was first built in the early 15th century, under the Ming Yongle Emperor, as the entrance gate of the walled Imperial City, and took its present name when the Qing rebuilt it in 1651. Ming and Qing emperors issued important edicts from it in a ceremony known as the 'golden phoenix edict', and the founding of the People's Republic of China was proclaimed from its balcony on 1 October 1949.

What to see at Tiananmen Square

• Tian'anmen Gate Tower 天安门城楼: The red gate at the north end, once the entrance to the walled Imperial City, today the main way to the Forbidden City.
• National flag and flagpole 国旗和旗杆: The flagpole at the square's north end, where the flag is raised at sunrise and lowered at sunset in a ceremony that now takes 46 seconds.
• Monument to the People's Heroes 人民英雄纪念碑: A tall stone obelisk in the centre of the square, about 38 metres high,.
• National Museum of China 中国国家博物馆: The national museum on the square's east side, devoted to Chinese history; it is closed on Mondays except public holidays.
• Zhengyangmen (Qianmen) 正阳门: The old city gate at the square's south end, also known as Qianmen.
• Great Hall of the People 人民大会堂: The state building on the west side, built in 1959 as one of the Ten Great Buildings.

How to visit Tiananmen Square

Plan a walk from north to south or the reverse: begin at Tian'anmen near the Metro Line 1 stations, cross the square past the flagpole and Monument to the People's Heroes, and finish at Zhengyangmen and Qianmen. You must enter at the gate named in your reservation. The National Museum and the Tian'anmen rostrum need their own bookings and are closed on Mondays. One to two hours covers the square; add the museum or the Forbidden City to the north for a full day.

How to get to Tiananmen Square

Take Metro Line 1 to Tian'anmen East or Tian'anmen West for the north end of the square, or Line 2 or Line 8 to Qianmen for the south end.

Where to stay

Stay in Dongcheng around Wangfujing or Qianmen, within walking distance of the square, with Metro Line 1 and Line 2 nearby for the rest of the city.

What to eat

• Beijing roast duck 北京烤鸭: Crisp-skinned roast duck carved at the table and rolled in thin pancakes with sweet bean sauce, Beijing's signature dish.
• Instant-boiled mutton 涮羊肉: Thin slices of lamb swished in a bubbling pot, a Beijing speciality that reflects the lamb dishes shaped by the city's Mongol, Hui and Manchu communities.

Tips for visiting Tiananmen Square

• Entry needs a real-name time slot booked one to seven days ahead on the 'Tian'anmen Square Visit Reservation' WeChat mini program: choose passport as your ID type and bring the same passport, as it is checked with your bags at the entrance named in your booking.
• The flag is raised at sunrise and lowered at sunset every day; to watch either, book the separate flag-raising or flag-lowering slot rather than an ordinary visit.
• Going up Tian'anmen's gate tower is booked separately, at least a day ahead, through the 'Tian'anmen Rostrum Reservation' WeChat account or website, and the rostrum is closed on Mondays.

Nearby

• National Museum of China 中国国家博物馆 under 10 km
  Ancient bronzes, jades and porcelain in a vast museum beside Tian'anmen Square
• Qianmen Street and Dashilar 前门大街·大栅栏 under 10 km
  A pedestrian avenue below Qianmen gate and a lane of shops trading since Qing times
• Forbidden City 故宫 under 10 km
  Six centuries of imperial power behind vermilion walls in the heart of Beijing
• Beihai Park 北海公园 under 10 km
  A former imperial lake garden crowned by a white Tibetan-style stupa on its island
• Temple of Heaven 天坛 under 10 km
  Where emperors prayed for harvests, and where Beijing now dances, sings and plays cards
• Prince Gong's Mansion 恭王府 under 10 km
  A Qing courtyard mansion and rock garden, home first to a corrupt minister, then a prince

Also within 30 km: Xijiaominxiang Historic Bank Buildings 西交民巷近代银行建筑群 (under 10 km), Peking Legation Quarter (Dongjiaominxiang) 东交民巷 (under 10 km), Imperial Historical Archives (Huangshicheng) 皇史宬 (under 10 km), Imperial Ancestral Temple 太庙 (under 10 km), Zhongshan Park 中山公园 (under 10 km), Pudu Temple 普度寺 (under 10 km).

On the map

Open Tiananmen Square on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.

Learn more

• Wikipedia
• Wikipedia (Chinese)