Overview
The square took its present scale in 1958, when Ming and Qing buildings were cleared to make room for the Great Hall of the People and the national museum on either side. The Monument to the People’s Heroes stands at the centre and Mao’s mausoleum to the south. Entry requires passport registration and a security check, and the flag ceremony at sunrise draws a crowd well before dawn.
Highlights
Book the free entry slot online in advance with your passport; without it you will not get in. The National Museum of China on the east side holds the best single collection of Chinese antiquities and is also free with booking. Tiananmen Gate itself, with the portrait, is the north edge and the way through to the palace.