Tiananmen Square

Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City: Beijing’s Historical Core

Tiananmen Square covers 440,000 square metres in the centre of Beijing — one of the largest public squares on earth. It sits between the Gate of Heavenly Peace (Tiananmen Gate) to the north and Qianmen Gate to the south, and is framed to the east and west by the National Museum of China and the Great Hall of the People. The scale of the space is deliberately overwhelming. That’s the point.

For most international visitors, it functions primarily as a threshold: you cross the square to reach Tiananmen Gate, and through that gate is the Forbidden City.

The Flag Raising Ceremony

Every day at sunrise (exact time changes daily with the season, published on the official schedule), soldiers from the People’s Liberation Army march from the Tiananmen Gate to the centre of the square and raise the national flag with complete ceremony. A corresponding lowering takes place at sunset. Crowds gather before dawn for the sunrise ceremony, which requires getting to the square quite early. It’s formal, precisely choreographed, and entirely worth seeing once if you’re in Beijing.

Security

Access to the square requires passing through security checkpoints with bag scanning. Keep your passport with you. Photography in the square itself is generally fine. Several topics and activities are restricted; the guidelines are enforced.

The Forbidden City (Palace Museum)

The Forbidden City is the main reason to orient a morning around Tiananmen. The complex served as the imperial palace from 1420 to 1912 — 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties — and has been a museum since 1925. It contains 980 buildings across 180 acres, approximately 1.8 million artefacts, and several decades of ongoing restoration. Entry through the Meridian Gate (Wumen) at the southern end, exit through the Gate of Divine Might (Shenwumen) at the north.

The central axis through the Outer Court — Three Great Halls, increasingly large and ceremonial — is the obvious route. Allow at least two hours for a basic visit; three to four for anything more meaningful. The side pavilions (imperial gardens, western concubines’ quarters, clock and watch museum) reward time if you have it.

Book tickets online in advance through the Palace Museum website. Entry is limited to around 80,000 visitors per day and sells out in peak seasons.

Nearby

The National Museum of China on the east side of the square is free but requires advance online booking. It has an extensive collection of Chinese history and art spanning from prehistoric times to the present. The Dunhuang exhibition, when running, is outstanding.

Jingshan Park, immediately north of the Forbidden City, is a small hill with pavilions that offer the best elevated view over the imperial complex and central Beijing. Early mornings bring older residents practising tai chi and occasionally playing erhu in the garden paths. It’s a pleasant contrast to the crowds below.

Eating and Staying

The nearest concentration of good restaurants is in the hutongs (alleyways) to the east and northwest of the Forbidden City — particularly around Nanluogu Xiang and Wudaoying Hutong. Duck at Da Dong or Quanjude is overpriced but competent; better Peking duck without the tourist premium exists in the surrounding streets if you’re willing to look.

Accommodation in the Wangfujing area is convenient for the square. The Peninsula Beijing and the Raffles Beijing are the luxury options. For mid-range, the area around Dongsi and Gulou offers both price advantage and access to the hutong neighbourhoods that are more interesting to explore.