TIAN'ANMEN SQUARE

Not taken by me

I remember when this happened.  Tian'anmen Square filled up with up to one million Chinese students who were displeased with the Chinese government in April-June 1989.  The standoff ended with tanks and soldiers winning on June 4, 1989.  There isn't much reference to the event in anything you see or read in China, but at 10:00 pm every night a row of soldiers line up at one end of Tian'anmen Square and slowly walk to the other end, thus inviting everyone to leave.

The building below was the Tian'anmen (Gate of Heavenly Peace) rostrum.  It was the southern entrance to the Forbidden City and looked out over the 49 hectare square.

About in the center of the square was the Monument to the People's Heroes.  The Museum of Chinese History and the Museum of the Chinese Revolution are in the background.  The building was quite large and was built in 1959.

At the end of the square, opposite the Forbidden City entrance, was the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall.  There was usually a large line of people waiting to go in, but it appeared to be closed the day we were there.

DIRECT LINKS TO PAGES:
ENTER THE DRAGON
WHEN IN BEIJING
THE REALLY BIG WALL OF CHINA
THIS AIN'T NO WINTER PALACE
TIAN'ANMEN SQUARE
MOVING WEST AND THE KUMBUM MONASTERY
OH YEAH.  WORK.
WHAT WE DID
IF THE ROADS DON'T KILL YOU...
THE MOUNTAINS
A STOP ALONG THE SILK ROAD
THE PLAINS AND DESERTS
THE PEOPLE
TIME TO GO HOME

2006-Jul-31