Tiananmen

The Tiananmen /ˈtjɛnənmən/, also Tian'anmen, is the entrance gate of the Forbidden City imperial palace complex and Imperial City in the center of Beijing, China. It is widely used as a national symbol.

First built in 1420 during the Ming dynasty, Tiananmen was the entrance to the Emperor's residence. In 1949, Mao Zedong made an important announcement from the balcony. Tiananmen is located to the north of Tiananmen Square, and is separated from the plaza by Chang'an Avenue.

Name

The Chinese name for the Tiananmen gate (天安门/天安門) means "Gate of Heavenly Peace". It comes from a phrase about receiving a special right from heaven to bring peace. In the Manchu language, the name is Abkai elhe obure duka, meaning "Gate of Heavenly Peacemaking". The gate had a counterpart called the Di'anmen at the northern end of the imperial city.

Gate

The Tiananmen gate is the main entrance to the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. It was built in 1420 during the Ming dynasty and has been rebuilt many times. The gate was once called "Chengtianmen" and was destroyed by fire and war. It was rebuilt again in 1651 during the Qing dynasty. The current building was rebuilt secretly between 1969 and 1970 because it was very old.

The gate is 66 meters long, 37 meters wide, and 32 meters high. It has special decorations on its roof and stone lions that are thought to protect against bad spirits. Large signs on the walls have messages about the People's Republic of China and world unity. The area in front of the gate is used for important celebrations, and a moat with fountains is nearby.

Portrait

See also: Portraits overlooking Tiananmen

Because of its important place, the Tiananmen gate has been very meaningful for a long time. In 1925, after Sun Yat-sen died, his picture was shown there. In 1945, to celebrate winning against Japan, a picture of Chiang Kai-shek was shown.

Since 1949, when the People’s Republic of China began, a picture of Mao Zedong has been shown on the gate. This picture is changed every year before National Day. In 2011, some people suggested showing a picture of Sun Yat-sen again, but this did not happen.

• Picture of Chiang Kai-shek from the Republic of China era (before 1949)

• Picture of Joseph Stalin put up after he died, 1953

• Picture of Mao Zedong by Ge Xiaoguang

National symbol

Because of its history, Tiananmen is shown on the National Emblem of the People's Republic of China. It has also been on stamps and coins made by the People's Republic of China.

Public access

Tiananmen is open to visitors every day from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tickets need to be booked online using the Weixin (Wechat) Mini Program at least one day before the visit. Tickets cannot be bought on the same day or at the location.

The Beijing Subway Line 1 stops at Tiananmen West and Tiananmen East. These stops are on either side of Tiananmen. Several city buses also stop nearby. These include routes 1, 2, 5, 52, 82, 120, 观光1, 观光2, 夜1, 夜2, and 夜17.