{"id":459,"date":"2023-02-25T08:01:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-25T00:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.tour-beijing.com\/blog\/?p=459"},"modified":"2023-02-26T09:12:42","modified_gmt":"2023-02-26T01:12:42","slug":"how-to-visit-tiananmen-square","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tour-beijing.com\/blog\/beijing-travel\/beijing-attractions-tips\/how-to-visit-tiananmen-square","title":{"rendered":"How to visit Tiananmen Square (Tips, Photos & Map\uff09"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Of course, you won’t miss Tiananmen Square – the largest public square of this kind in the world – on your first trip to Beijing. As a public square, basically it is open all year round free of charge for local residents and visitors as well \uff08except on some special events or rallies).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So what do you expect from Tiananmen Square? What other famous attractions available you can see near the square? When and how to go there? Well, we’d like to sum up some useful tips which might help plan your own trip to Tiananmen Square.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tip 1: How to get to Tiananmen Square <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For a first-time visitor to Beijing, using Beijing’ local public bus system<\/a> is a bit tricky and daunting. So taking subway to go around Beijing is highly recommended and you easily check online or grab a subway map of Beijing from your lodging hotel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or you may check out my another article How to take subway in Beijing<\/a> for more subway travel information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Subway<\/td>To go to Tiananmen Square, you may use Subway Line 1 or Line 2:<\/strong>
For Subway Line 1<\/a>, you get off either at Tiananmen East Station or Tiananmen West Station\uff1b
For Subway Line 2<\/a>, just get off at Qianmen Station.<\/td><\/tr>
Bus<\/td>Arriving at Tiananmen East Station, take bus number\uff1a1, 120, 2, 52, 82, Night 1, Sightseeing Double-Decker Bus 1, and Sightseeing Double-Decker Bus 2.<\/td><\/tr>
Car<\/td>Tiananmen Square does not have a dedicated parking lot. Nevertheless, you can avail yourself of the scattered parking lots in the nearby hotels and alleys. <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Tip 2: Tiananmen Square Opening Hours<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For security reason, Tiananmen Square is now fenced off and gone are the days when people could easily cross the square from the surrounding streets. You have to walk through one of the check points. So don’t forget to bring your personal ID. <\/p>\n\n\n

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One of the security check points in Tiananmen Square<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Tiananmen Square Opening Hours:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Basically the square is open one hour before the daily the Flag Raising Ceremony and close an hour after the Flag Lowering Ceremony. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They time the flag raising at the exact moment of sunrise and the flag lowering at the time of sunset in Beijing. So you can check the timetable for flag raisin and lowering<\/a> and easily learn about the opening hours for Tiananmen Square.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also call Tian ‘anmen District Administrative Committee inquiring about the opening or closing of the square, or other matters. Contact phone number\uff1a86409660. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Very important notice:<\/strong>
You still can walk around the square and take beautiful pictures even when the square itself is closed. No big deal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just read my another article Night View of Tiananmen Square<\/a> ( I shot all the pictures outside the square in the evening).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tip 3: What to see inside Tiananmen Square<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Well, once you are in the square, you will see people, lots of people, coming from all parts of the country and the world also like you. Of course, Tiananmen Square itself is amazing, 880 meters long from north to south and 500 meters wide from east to west. It covers an area of 440,000 square meters and can accommodate one million people for grand gatherings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Along the central axis of Beijing<\/a> in the square from north to south stand the National Flag Pole, the Monument to the People’s Heroes, the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall and the Zhengyangmen Gate Tower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The National Flag Pole<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

So from the north to south in the square, you first see the National Flag Pole, where people see the daily national flag raising and lowering ceremonies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check out the timetable for flag raisin and lowering<\/a> and How to Watch Sunrise over Tiananmen Square<\/a> and Sunset View from Tiananmen Square<\/a> for more information about the ceremonies.<\/p>\n\n\n

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People waiting for the flag rasing ceremony<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The Monument to the People’s Heroes<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Originally built from August 1952 to May 1958, in the center of the square, the monument towers 10 stories high, its northern facade is dominated by the inscription, “Eternal Glory to the People’s Heroes,” in Mao Zedong’s hand. <\/p>\n\n\n

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The Monument to the People’s Heroes<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Chairman Mao Memorial Hall <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Chairman Mao Zedong Memorial Hall is located in the south of Tian\u2019anmen Square between the Monument to the People\u2019s Heroes in the center of Tiananmen Square and Zhengyangmen Gate on the southern edge of Tiananmen Square. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mausoleum is the final resting place of Chairman Mao where his body was embalmed and put on display after his death. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read my another article Tips for Visiting Chairman Mao Memorial Hall<\/a> for more information.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Chairman Mao Memorial Hall<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Zhengyangmen ( Zhengang Gate Tower )<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Zhengyang Gate is situated on the south-north central axis of Beijing<\/a>, on the southern edge of Tian’anmen Square and north of Qianmen Street<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Zhengyang Gate<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Zhengyangmen was built between 1421 and 1439 and actually had two towers, the gatehouse and a watchtower. The two towers were originally put together to create an inner walled courtyard for easy defence purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tip 4: What to see near Tiananmen Square<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For many, going to Tiananmen Square is not just for the square itself, furthermore they would incorporate the square into their day trip. So what are the major attractions adjacent to Tiananmen Square? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Qianmen Street ( to the south of the square)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The 845-meter long Qianmen Street runs south from Tiananmen Square just along the Beijing central axis<\/a>. It is one of the last remnants of the business centers of the old Beijing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check out my another article Qianmen Street<\/a> for more information.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The northern paifang gateway to Qianmen Street<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

National Museum Of China ( to the east of the square)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The National Museum of China may be not a must do in Beijing if you only have 2 or 3 days to stick around. But if you\u2019re here for quite a few days, or you have finished the so-called bucket list, this huge museum is perfect for you no matter you are a history buff or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

See my another article Tips for Visiting National Museum Of China<\/a> for more information. <\/p>\n\n\n

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National Museum Of China<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The Great Hall of the People ( to the west of the square )<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

On the west of Tiananmen Square it is the Great Hall of the People, the meeting place of national people’s congress of the People’s Republic of China ( often dubbed as China’s parliament). The Great Hall with huge and complicated engineering was built within ten months in 1950’s, possessing central hall, great hall, banqueting hall with 7000 square meters, office building of people congress standing committee and hall named with all provinces and autonomous region.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The Great Hall of the People<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The National Centre for the Performing Arts \uff08 to the west of the Great Hall of the People\uff09<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It is one of the 4 most important landmarks in Beijing. The egg-shape theatre is absolutely worth having a glimpse. It was designed by French architect Paul Andreu. Construction started in December 2001 and the inaugural concert was held in December 2007.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read Night View of National Centre for the Performing Arts (China)<\/a> and How to Visit National Grand Theatre<\/a> in Beijing for more information.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The National Centre for the Performing Arts<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Tiananmen Tower (Gate of Heavenly Peace) to the north of the square<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tiananmen Tower (Gate of Heavenly Peace) was built in the 15th year of Yongle of the Ming Dynasty (1417) and was originally called “Chengtian Gate”. It was rebuilt in the 8th year of Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty (1651) . It was the front gate of the imperial city of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On October 1, 1949, Chairman Mao Zedong solemnly declared to the world at the Tiananmen Tower that “the Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China was founded today”. Tiananmen has since become the symbol of new China. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Chairman Mao Zedong solemnly proclaims the founding of the PRC in Tiananmen rostrum, October 1, 1949. ( Photo from Xinhua )<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The National Emblem of the People’s Republic of China is hung in the middle of the Tiananmen Tower above the eaves, and the portrait of Chairman Mao is hung above the doorway in the middle of Tiananmen Tower. On both sides are banners and slogans reading “Long live the People’s Republic of China” and “Long live the great unity of the people of the world”. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Tiananmen Tower viewed from the north of Tiananmen Square<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

In 1961, Tiananmen Tower (Gate of Heavenly Peace) became one of the first national key cultural relic protection sites promulgated by the State Council.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the way, at the time of my updating this article, Tiananmen Tower is still closed to the public. For the latest information, please call Tiananmen District Administrative Committee at 63095718.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forbidden City to the north of Tiananmen Tower<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Visiting the Forbidden City ( The Palace Museum ) is no doubt one of your travel highlights in Beijing. Then how to buy your Forbidden City entry ticket? When to visit? Which gate to enter? What\u2019s the visiting line? How to beat the crowds?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

See my another article How to visit Forbidden City<\/a> for more information.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Inside the Forbidden City<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Some useful information about Tiananmen Square<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tourist Scam in Tiananmen Square area<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The area around Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City is a favourite hangout for scammers. For more information on the scams, please read my another article Top 10 Beijing Tourist Scams<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Toilets in the Square<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

If you drink too much water and want to use a toilet, don\u2019t worry. There are two toilets adjoining the National Museum of China on the east of Tiananmen Square. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So you just go out of the square from its east exit, then walk directly to the toilets in the annex to the museum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drinks and Food Selling<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

If you feel thirsty or hungry, you can easily get what you want from the food and beverage on the wheels in the square. Don’t litter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tiananmen Square Map<\/h4>\n\n\n
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Tiananmen Square Map \uff08Google\uff09<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Tiananmen Square Hotlines<\/strong>
Tiananmen Square Administration Committee: 010-86409660
Tiananmen Tower: 63095718
Tiananmen Ambulance: 120<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further Reading relative to Tiananmen Square<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The timetable for flag raisin and lowering<\/a>
Night View of Tiananmen Square<\/a>
Sunset View from Tiananmen Square<\/a>
The Central Axis of Beijing<\/a>
How to Watch Sunrise over Tiananmen Square<\/a>
Tips for Visiting Chairman Mao Memorial Hall<\/a>
Night View of National Centre for the Performing Arts (China)<\/a>
Qianmen Street<\/a>
Tips for Visiting National Museum Of China<\/a>
How to visit F<\/a>orbidden City<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tip:  Hassle-free Beijing Guided Tours<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours,  here are some options for guided tours to Beijing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Car Rental in Beijing<\/a>
Beijing Day Tour<\/a>
Beijing Tour Packages<\/a>
Great Wall Tour<\/a>
Beijing Winter Tour<\/a>
Beijing Tours<\/a>
China City Tours<\/a>
China Tour<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further Readings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Best Time to Visit Beijing<\/a>
How to plan a trip to Beijing<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Top 10 Attractions in Beijing<\/a>
Top 10 Tourist Scams Beijing<\/a>
How to Visit Forbidden City<\/a>
How to Visit Temple of Heaven<\/a>
How to Visit Summer Palace<\/a>
How to Visit Ming Tombs<\/a>
How to Visit the Great Wall of China<\/a>
How to Visit Tiananmen Square<\/a>
How to Visit Hutongs<\/a>
How to Visit Olympic Sites<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Top 10 Markets in Beijing<\/a>
Top 10 Shopping Malls in Beijing<\/a>
Beijing Shopping<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wangfujing Night Snack Street<\/a>
Qianmen Commercial Street<\/a>
Beijing Huguosi Street<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any questions, just drop a line.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Of course, you won’t miss Tiananmen Square – the largest public square of this kind in the world – on your first trip to Beijing. As a public square, basically it is open all year round free of charge for local residents and visitors as well \uff08except on some special events or rallies). So what…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[3400,3772,3769,3768,3770,3771],"class_list":["post-459","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-beijing-attractions-tips","tag-how-to-get-to-tiananmen-square","tag-some-useful-information-about-tiananmen-square","tag-tiananmen-square-opening-hours","tag-tips-for-visiting-tiananmen-square","tag-what-to-see-inside-tiananmen-square","tag-what-to-see-near-tiananmen-square"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tour-beijing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/459"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tour-beijing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tour-beijing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tour-beijing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/38"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tour-beijing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=459"}],"version-history":[{"count":47,"href":"https:\/\/www.tour-beijing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/459\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31684,"href":"https:\/\/www.tour-beijing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/459\/revisions\/31684"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tour-beijing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=459"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tour-beijing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=459"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tour-beijing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=459"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}