Tiananmen Square

Literally and metaphorical at the heart of Beijing, the vast expanse of Tiananmen Square covers over 100 acres making it one of the largest public squares in the world. It was here, in 1949, that Chairman Mao Zedong declared the founding of the People's Republic of China, especially symbolic with the Forbidden City, the symbol of imperial China, close by.

Around the square sits one of the city's most iconic structures. To the south stands Qianmen Gate the original gate into the city from the Ming Dynasty. To the west is the Great Hall of the People, the meeting place of the National People's Congress whilst to the east stands the National Museum of China which houses artefacts and cultural relics from China's extensive history. The Forbidden City is to north, with a portrait of Chairman Mao at its gate, looking out over the square. Perhaps the most famous building on the square is Chairman Mao Zedong Memorial Hall, Soviet-style mausoleum that contains the embalmed body of the leader.