Tian"anmen Square
At the center of Beijing, the Tian"anmen Square is big enough for 1 million people to gather together. Measuring 880 m from north to south and 500 m from east to west, the 440,000 sq m square is the biggest of its kind in the world. The Tian"anmen Rostrum lies to the north of the majestic square, with the National Museum of China to its east and the Great Hall of the People to its west.
Flag-raising ceremony
The flag-raising ceremony held every morning upon sunrise at the northern rim of the Tian"anmen Square has become one of the nation"s symbolic sights. It is held at the moment when the sun rises over the East Sea of China, which means that the country is growing stronger like the rising sun. The team of 96 PLA soldiers who guard the national flag symbolizes the upholding of the 9.6 million sq km of China"s territory. Dressed in dashing uniform, the ceremonial guards follow a flag bearer and two flag-raisers. Accompanied by the military music, they walk across the Golden Water Bridge and march in exactly 138 steps before reaching the flag post. The flag-raising ceremony best represents the spirit of the Chinese nation.
Mao Zedong Memorial Hall
Lying to the south of the Monument to the People"s Heroes on the Tian"anmen Square, the memorial is where Mao Zedong (1893-1976), the founder of New China, rests. It is a sacred site for the Chinese. Finished in May 1977, the cubic hall has 44 granite columns outside. In the middle of the staircases outside the northern and southern gates, sunflower, Japanese rohdea, wintersweet and pine are sculpted on the white marble boards.
Monument to the People"s Heroes
Erected at the center of the Tian"anmen Square, the Monument to the People"s Heroes commemoratesthe martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the nation in modern Chinese history. Standing at 37.94 mtall, the monument"s base is composed of two parts. The upper part is square and formed with twolayers of pedestals. The lower pedestal is inlaid with eight white marble relief sculptures that displayfamous events in the past century. In 1839, Qing Dynasty official Lin Zexu banned opium and burnedall confiscated opium in Guangzhou, which led to the two Opium Wars (1840-1842), marking thebeginning of Western powers" invasion of China; the Jintian Uprising in 1851 that grew into the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom; the Wuchang Uprising in 1911 that eventually toppled the Qing Dynastyand ended China"s feudal history; the May Fourth Movement in 1919 that has become China"s Youth Day; the May 30th Movement in 1925 led by the Chinese Communist Party against Japanese imperialists; the Nanchang Uprising on Aug 1, 1927 led by the Chinese Communist Party; the guerrilla war in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1937-1945);and the crossing of the Yangtze River by the People"s Liberation Army (PLA) in 1949. On both sides of the last scene, there are two smaller scenes with the themes of "sending materials to the soldiers on the frontline" and "welcoming the PLA".The relief sculptures are 2 m high and feature more than 170 figures.
Central axis of Beijing
From Yongding Gate to the Bell and Drum Towers, the 7.7-km-long central axis is the symbol of ancient Beijing and the world"s longest existing urban axis.
Great Hall of the People
Lying to the west of the Tian"anmen Square, the Great Hall of the People is the venue for the country"s most important meetings such as the National People"s Congress. Besides the grand meeting hall with a capacity of 10,000 seats and a dinning hall of 5,000 seats, the venue is also famous for 34 halls named after all the provinces, municipalities, autonomous regions and the special administrative regions. It only took ten months to complete the grand architecture in 1959.
China Millennium Monument Museum
Built on the western Chang"an Avenue to commemorate the new millennium, the China Millennium Monument Museum is formed with the main building, bronze passage and holy fire plaza. With the theme of "harmony", it is a symbol of the harmonious development of man and nature, as well as the harmonious integration of Eastern and Western cultures. The design of the altar features water and stone in poetic and symbolic language. The deep-set plaza and bronze passage are decorated with flowing streams; the altar, plaza and passage are built with 40,000 sq m of cream-colored granite. The 270-m-long bronze passage is carved with the timeline between the appearance of humans and the year 2000. The main building consists of the Millennium Hall, Gallery of Eastern and Western Arts, Modern Arts Gallery and Multi-Media Digital Art Gallery. The perimeter of the circular mural inside the Millennium Hall is 117 m, making it the biggest of its kind in China.
National Center for Performing Arts
To the west of the Great Hall of the People is the National Center for Performing Arts. Designed by French architect Paul Andreu, it is the world"s biggest domed architecture. Many high-level performances are staged here.
National Museum of China
Lying to the east of Tian"anmen Square, the National Museum of China is the museum of the highest level in the country. Displayed according to chronology, the cultural relics capture the 5,000 years of Chinese civilization. Besides carrying out archaeological excavations, the museum collects, studies and displays cultural relics. The prided collection with the museum reflects the splendid ancient, modern and contemporary history of China. Wandering in the spacious halls of the museum is like sailing down a mighty river of the past 5,000 years that shaped China.
