Tiananmen Square ​- Acrobatic theater in central Beijing

Last Update: 8th October 2020
What is Tiananmen Square?
Located in the center of Beijing, Tiananmen Square starts from Tiananmen Tower in the north, Zhengyangmen Gate in the south, National Museum of China in the east, and the Great Hall of the People in the west.
​With an area of 440,000 square meters, it is 880 meters long from north to south, and 500 meters wide from east to west.
Tiananmen Square Fast Facts
  • Chinese Name: Tiananmen Guangchang (天安门广场)
  • Area: 440,000 square kilometers
  • Things to do there: Photography, Chinese Culture, Chinese History
  • Who visits: Photographers, Chinese Culture Lovers, Architecture Learners
  • Time required: 1 – 2 x Hours
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What to expect at Tiananmen Square
At Tiananmen Square, visitors can explore Tiananmen Tower. 66 meters long and 37 meters wide, Tiananmen Tower covers an area of 4,800 square meters. As the gate of the Forbidden City, Tiananmen was the main entrance to the Imperial City of the Ming (1368 – 1644) and Qing (1644 – 1912) Dynasties. Formerly named “Chengtianmen”, it was built in 1417. Since January 1, 1988, Tiananmen has been open to the public. It is composed of the platform with large tall red walls and the tower. The tower was built with yellow glazed tiles and carved large windows. In the south and the north of the tower, there are 36 red large windows.
In addition, visitors can view the exterior of the Great Hall of the People, discover the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, National Museum of China, and the Monument to the People’s Heroes. If interested to watch Tiananmen Flag raising Ceremony, please arrive at Tiananmen Square one hour beforehand. The time of flag raising differs with the time of the sunrise. The ceremony is divided into the flag-raising ceremony for public holidays (New Year, Spring Festival, May Day, China’s National Day, the 1st, 11th and 21st of every month) and the flag-raising one for other days.
​During holidays, the Guards of Honor of the People’s Liberation Army conduct the ceremony with the company of the military orchestra who plays “Ode to the Motherland” during marching and “the National Anthem Of China” during the raising of the flag. While on other days, the recording of “the National Anthem Of China” is played during the raising of the flag.

Best time to visit Tiananmen Square

If you would like to experience the grand flag-raising ceremony, the best time to visit Tiananmen Square is in the early morning. Please note, lots of tourists will admire the ceremony, especially on holidays.
If you are not interested to watch the ceremony, it is recommended that you visit Tiananme Square in the late afternoon.

 

How to get to Tiananmen Square

As Tiananmen Square is situated at the heart of Beijing, there are many options.

  • Rent a vehicle to the square. This is the quickest and most direct option.
  • Take Bus 1, 2, 5, 8, 17, 48, 66, 67, 69, 71, 82, 10, 52, 59, 82, 90, 99, 120 and Bus 126 to the square.
  • Take Metro Line 1 and Line 2 to the square.

Additional Tiananmen Square Travel Advice

  • Opening hours: 05:00 – 22:00 (Tiananmen Square); 08:30 – 16:30 (Tiananmen Tower)
  • Admission fee: free of charge
  • As at 8th October 2020, the entrance pricing to Tiananmen Tower is 15 CNY per person; the elder above 65 years old (65 years old not included) are free of charge; the elder between 60 years old and 65 years old (65 years old included) are charged 5 CNY per person. For the latest pricing information, please contact us via email (info@wendyweitours.com)
  • Any liquid including water is not allowed to take into the Tiananmen Tower.
  • ​Please remember to bring your passports with you when visiting the Tiananmen Tower.
  • It is not allowed to take the luggage into the Tiananmen Tower. You can storage it in the left-luggage office.
  • The route for visiting Tianamen Tower is one-way.

Interested in visiting Tiananmen Square on a Tour?

Wendy Wei Tours offers a variety of different packaged tours as well as custom tours including Tiananmen Square, among other attractions and destinations. To find out more, please visit our Tours page or Contact Us directly to find out more.