Tiananmen Square (Square of the Gate of Heavenly Peace) has been the site of both celebrations and protests. It is bounded on three sides by the Imperial Palace, the Great Hall of the People and the Museum of Chinese History.

The Chinese government has suppressed public information about the democracy protests in 1989, so young Chinese are unaware of of the government retaliation and subsequent deaths of hundreds of protesters that occurred during that year. Today, however, Tiananmen Square is a place of gathering and celebration as the Chinese National Holiday is drawing near. You can see a large faux floral display, (somewhat) inconspicuous security guards, and of course the ever-ubiquitous security cameras (the Chinese refer to them as the “Heavenly Eye”). The crowds weren’t too bad yet; the Forbidden City was another story.

Mao’s Mausoleum

The Monument to the People’s Heroes can be seen in the distance

Great Hall of the People

Our local guide holds up our “guiding sign” and leads us toward the Gate of Heavenly Peace