Tiananmen Square 天安门广场

The world's largest public square, Tianmen Square was conceived by Mao Zedong as a monument to the omnipotence of the communist party. At 440,000 square metres, the huge expanse of concrete is certainly awe-inspiring. Most visitors get to know it well, as they criss cross it on their way to and fro the Forbideen City, Qianmen, the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall and the Great Hall of the People.

For myself, I knew the place pretty well. On the 1st day, I walked past it in an attempt to conquer the Forbidden City by foot. On my last day, I learnt my lesson. Therefore, I took the train to visit Tiananmen before making my way back to Wangfujing Dajie (王府井大街) by foot. It is really BIG. In its vicinity are 5 train stops, with Qianmen (前门) train station being the most centralised one.

Named for Tiananmen Gate (Gate of Heavenly Peace), the arched 15th century gate just to the north, the square has witnessed some of the key moments in Chinese history. Mao proclaimed the People's Republic of China from Tiananmen Gate to a huge crowd of ecstatic Beijingers. And throughout the Mao era, the square was regularly packed with a million-odd people for parades. In 1989, it was the site of the doomed pro-democracy protests, which ended when tanks rolled across the square.

Seven parallel bridges lead over a stream from the square to the Tiananmen Gate's five doors. In pre-revolution days, the centre bridge and door could only be used by the emperor. Since the arrival of the communists, the door has been crowned with an enormous portrait of Mao, an obligatory photo opportunity for the domestic tourists who swam the square every day.

Tiananmen is populated by numerous police, PLA and plain-clothes officers, ready to pounce at any sign of a protest. Their presence is a reminder that the square is not like public places elsewhere in the world, despite the kids running around and the tourists snapping away.

I experienced it myself. Though it was a gigantic public area, there were metal barricades everywhere. To get into this 'public place', I had to walk to either the EAST or WEST side of the square. There were entrances at both sides; the police officers are hard at work - scanning your bags and making you walk through the metal detector. In the square, there were police officers patrolling and parked police cars.

What a sight to behold -
So big yet so empty,
So crowded yet filled with nothing,
So plain yet rich in history,
I am bewildered by this mystery.