Visiting the Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China
It’s a square of extraordinary proportions and not just because of the size. If you are considering whether to visit it when in Beijing, then definitely do – worth it. Easily reached with public transport there are no issues getting there.
Tiananmen Square, also known as the Square of Heavenly Peace (literal translation) is 880-metre-long and 500-metre-wide (400,000 square meters), making it one of the biggest squares in the world. It can hold a million people and provides access to the Forbidden City. In 1987 it was declared a World Heritage Site.
Entering Tiananmen Square
As with almost all the entrances, be prepared for a security check. To enter Tiananmen Square there are several specific entry points and each has a security gate, including metal detectors. You may be asked to show also your ID, so don’t forget it at the hotel (with us they mostly checked whether we had valid visas).
When you look around the square the security there is also tight, cameras are everywhere and not just one camera per pole.
Practical Information
The square is located at the very center of downtown Beijing and can be reached on Subway line 1 via Tiananmen East and Tiananmen West stations. Tiananmen Square has three subway stops:
- Line 1 (red) is Beijing’s busiest. You can access the north end of Tiananmen Square via the Tiananmen East (Xi) and Tiananmen West (Dong) subway stops from Line 1. Both are on W Chang’an Avenue. The Tiananmen East (Xi) stop is nearest — only one stop away — from the popular tourist district of Wangfujing.
- Line 2 (blue) has one stop (Qianmen Station) on the south end of Tiananmen Square.
Opening hours: 05:00am-10:00pm
Entrance fee: free
The average time spend here is about half an hour, you waddle around a bit and move on.
The best time to visit is sunrise or sunset, as mentioned the guards raise and lower the national flag, but a visit when it’s dark outside is also impressive, the square is quite illuminated.
Note: avoid also wearing clothing that portrays any type of political message or theme (e.g., “Free Tibet” shirts). You may as well avoid shirts that depict death or religious themes, too.
Tiananmen Square is the symbol of state power in China.
Little bit of history…
As it is a symbol of power, many army parades have been held here. It is also famously known for the people’s protests against the slow social and economic reforms in the 1980s.
On the night of 3 June 1989, the uprising came to a dramatic end. Citizens had joined the peaceful student protests and a large crowd had gathered on the square. Premier Deng Xiaoping called in the army to crush the protests. To the horror of the international community, he commanded the army to open fire on the crowd and hundreds of people were killed.
One famous photo which everyone knows is that of the “Tank Man” – a lonely student armed with only 2 shopping bags stood in front of the tanks and forced them to stop.
Read also: The Temple of Heaven
The historical roots date back to earlier times, but the Square expanded four times the initial size in 1651 during the reign of the Ming Dynasty and the present state was fully paved in during the time of Mao Zedong in the year 1958.
Among highlights of the square are the raising and lowering ceremonies of the flag at sunrise and sunset and also the changing of the guards at specific times throughout the day. But beware, it’s very popular also among the locals and the square will be packed.
We managed to be there during China’s 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and many decorations were placed along the whole square, like the giant flower pot.
Beware of the locals, the square is popular, and also many people from all over China visit it daily, and we ended up in a funny situation. Being among the very few non-Chinese people, we were asked to take a picture with some people, but it can get quickly out of hand and a line started to build, becoming an attraction. We ended up in quite a few family pictures.
And yes, it can be fun for a few pictures, but you can end up taking pictures with the whole square. Take a few and the run 😅.
Be prepared that walking around the square can be extremely hot during the summer, as there are no trees or shade, bring some headware. Also, there are no shops and toilets directly at the square, but a lot around the perimeter. In case you need water, buy it before entering the square.