Tiananmen Square is a large paved public plaza near the middle of Beijing, China,in front of the Forbidden City, facing south,and is said to be the biggest square in the world. It is 880 meters from south to north, and 500 meters from east to west, with total area of 440,000 square meters and can hold one million people.Tourists can visit Tiananmen Tower, Monument to the People's Heroes, Great Hall of the People, Mao Zedong Memorial Hall and see the national flag raising ceremony.
Initially built in 1417 during the Ming Dynasty (1368 A.D.--1644 A.D.), the Square(translated from Chinese: The Gate of Heavenly Peace) was the front door of the Forbidden City.The most important use of it in the past was to declare in a big ceremony to the common people who became the emperor and who became the empress. Until 1911 when the last feudal kingdom was over, no one could enter the Tower except for the royal family and aristocrats.
Today it is a world recognised symbol of where Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-tung) declared the foundation the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949. It is now one of the entrances for tourists visiting the Forbidden City. Thousands of people come to the Square every day. It is a must place to visit in Beijing City.The present Tiananmen Square has become a relaxing place for the common people to fly kites and walk. On a holiday, the whole square is covered with fresh flowers.
Tiananmen Gate Tower sits at the north, the Five-Star Red Flag flies high on the square, the Monument to the People's Heroes dominates the center, the Great Hall of the People and the Museum of the Chinese Revolution and the Museum of Chinese History to the east and west of it, as well as The Chairman Mao Memorial Hall and the Qianmen gate, sit in the south of the square. Over several hundred years, in front of the Tiananmen, many democracy meetings and demonstrations are held. Tens of thousands of people visit daily. The Square is listed top among Beijing's 16 scenic spots.
 
Five Star Red Flag-the Chinese national flag, flies high in the sky above the Square. To see the guard of honor raise the Flag is a must for the tourist visiting Beijing City. You have to get up very early and arrive at the Square before sunrise. Only by doing so can you see the ceremony clearly as there are crowds of people attending the ceremony every day.
West of the Square is the Great Hall of the People. This building, erected in 1959, is the site of the China National People's Congress meetings and provides an impressive site for other political and diplomatic activities.Twelve marble posts are infront of the Hall which has three parts--the Central Hall, the Great Auditorium and a Banqueting Hall. The floor of the Central Hall is paved with marble and
crystal lamps hang from the ceiling. The Great Auditorium behind the Central Hall seats 10,000. The Banqueting Hall is a huge hall with 5,000 seats.
Monument to the People's Heroes
The granite Monument to the People's Heroes,or Renmin Yinxiong Jinian Bei,is just at the center of the Tiananmen Square. Built in 1952, it is the largest monument in China's history.Completed in 1958, more than 10,000 tons of stone were used for the 40 meter high obelisk.
"The People's Heroes are Immortal" written by Chairman Mao is engraved on the monument. At the base of the monument are eight two meter tall bas-relief panels depicting seminal events in the Communist interpretation of Chinese history between 1839 and 1949. Two rows of white marble railings enclose the monument, simple and beautiful. Dedicated to the men and women who died in the struggles to make China an independent nation in the century before the Communists came to power, it has acted as a lightning rod for dissent.
Mausoleum
Mao Zedong Memorial Hall is at the south side of the Square.The mausoleum was completed in 1977. This Hall is divided into three halls and our dear Chairman Mao's body lies in a crystal coffin in one of the halls surrounded by fresh bouquets of various famous flowers and grasses.
The mausoleum is usually open Tuesday-Sunday 8:30-11:30am and 2-4pm; admission is free. Before viewing Mao's remains contained within a crystal sarcophagus, visitors are required to check in any baggage or camera gear on the east side of the Memorial Hall. Visitors queuing up normally see the North, Homage, and South Halls. According to Li Zhisui, Mao's personal physician, the Chairman's internal organs preserved in formaldehyde and wax replica of his corpse were stored in the basement of the building. It is unknown if they are still there today.
Another important place for the tourist to visit is the China National Museum at the east side of the Square. It just came into existence in 2003 and is a combination of Chinese History Museum and Chinese Revolutionary Museum. This National Museum faces the Great Hall of the People. Inside the Chinese Revolutionary Museum are a lot of material objects, pictures, books and models to present the development of modern China. The Chinese History Museum shows a large number of cultural relics illustrating the long history and glorious culture of China from 1,700,000 years ago to 1921 when the last emperor left the throne.