Tiananmen square

Tiananmen Square occupies a central location in both the physical and the symbolic geographies of China's capital city, Beijing. The site takes its name from the Gate of Heavenly Peace (Tiananmen), which is situated at the northern end of the square. Further to the north of the Gate of Heavenly Peace sits the Meridian Gate (Wumen), the entrance to the Forbidden City. Although Tiananmen predates Tiananmen Square by some several hundred years, both sites have played and continue to play prominent roles in the political history of China.

The Gate of Heavenly Peace was originally built in 1420, during the Ming Dynasty. At this time, the gate was given the name Chengtianmen to suggest that the dynasty had received the Mandate of Heaven to rule. This ...