- HubPages»
- Travel and Places»
- Visiting Asia»
- Eastern Asia
Tiananmen Square, Beijing, China
the heart of old and new Beijing and all of China
Tiananmen Square in Beijing, P.R. China is located just to the west of the Forbidden City (Imperial Palace Museum). The Gate of Heavenly Peace (Tiananmen) is the featured attraction with its prominent portrait of Chairman Mao Zedong, and obviously where the gigantic public square gets its name. The Gate of Heavenly Peace also serves to divide Tiananmen Square itself from the walled enclosures of the Forbidden City. Tiananmen Square is the largest open air public plaza in the world, covering 100 acres (40.5 hectares) of land. Tiananmen Square is bordered by the Gate of Heavenly Peace on the north side, the equally ancient Qianmen Gate to the south, the Great Hall of the People on the west, and the National Museum of China to the east. Any good Beijing tour should include the Forbidden City along with Tiananmen Square, and a Great Wall tour should also be included as a must-see site.