Tiananmen Square
unknown (Chinese)
![Thumbnail](/bitstream/handle/1721.3/151158/1A2-CH-B-FC-TS-A3_cp.jpg.jpg?sequence=8&isAllowed=y)
Download1A2-CH-B-FC-TS-A3_cp.jpg (245.9Kb)
Alternative Title
Square of Heavenly Peace
Date
1651Description
Zhengyangmen gatehouse at right; mausoleum of Mao Zedong at distant center; The old Imperial City (and Forbidden City within it) lies to the north of the Gate of Heavenly Peace (Tianan men) and the Square of Heavenly Peace (Tiananmen Square) at the center of the city, on the central north-south axis. Tiananmen Square was designed and built in 1651, and has since been enlarged to four times its original size. The largest expansion was in 1958-1959 to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of the People's Republic of China; the Great Hall of the People and the National Museum of China were built on the enlarged square. The south of the square is bounded by the old Zhengyangmen gatehouse, better known as Qianmen. The year after Mao's death in 1976, a Mausoleum was built near the site of the former Gate of China (destroyed 1954), on the main north-south axis of the square. In connection with this project, the square was further increased in size to become fully rectangular and to accommodate 600,000 persons. It is the third largest square in the world at 109 acres. Source: Wikipedia; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page (accessed 7/7/2013)
Type of Work
square (open space)Subject
architecture, contemporary (1960 to present), death or burial, funerary art, military or war, rulers and leaders, Mao, Zedong, 1893-1976, Twentieth century, Qing
Rights
Rights Statement
Licensed for educational and research use by the MIT community only