
The Tiananmen , also Tian'anmen, is the
entrance gate of the
Forbidden City
The Forbidden City () is the Chinese Empire, imperial Chinese palace, palace complex in the center of the Imperial City, Beijing, Imperial City in Beijing, China. It was the residence of 24 Ming dynasty, Ming and Qing dynasty, Qing dynasty L ...
imperial palace complex and
Imperial City in the center of
Beijing
Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
, China. It is widely used as a
national symbol
A national symbol is a manifestation of a nation or community, serving as a representation of their National identity, identity and values. National symbols may be not only applied to sovereign states but also nations and countries in a state of ...
.
First built in 1420 during the
Ming dynasty
The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...
, Tiananmen was the entrance to the
Emperor's residence, through which all visitors to the palace walked. In 1949,
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong pronounced ; traditionally Romanization of Chinese, romanised as Mao Tse-tung. (26December 18939September 1976) was a Chinese politician, revolutionary, and political theorist who founded the People's Republic of China (PRC) in ...
proclaimed the
People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
from the balcony, which now features a large portrait of him. Tiananmen is located to the north of
Tiananmen Square
Tiananmen Square or Tian'anmen Square () is a city square in the city center of Beijing, China, named after the Tiananmen ("''Gate of Heavenly Peace''") located to its north, which separates it from the Forbidden City. The square contains th ...
, and is separated from the plaza by
Chang'an Avenue.
Name
The
Chinese name of the gate (/), is made up of the Chinese characters for "heaven", "peace" and "gate" respectively, which is why the name is conventionally translated as "Gate of Heavenly Peace". However, this translation is somewhat misleading, since the Chinese name is derived from the much longer phrase "receiving the
mandate from heaven, and pacifying the dynasty". (). The
Manchu
The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic peoples, Tungusic East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized Ethnic minorities in China, ethnic minority in China and the people from wh ...
translation, ''Abkai elhe obure duka'', lies closer to the original meaning of the gate and can be literally translated as the "Gate of Heavenly Peacemaking". The gate had a counterpart in the northern end of the imperial city called the
Di'anmen (, Dì'ānmén; Manchu: ''Na i elhe obure duka''), which may be roughly translated as the "Gate of Earthly Peace".
Gate
History
The gate was originally named "Chengtianmen" (), or "Gate of Accepting
Heavenly Mandate" in the
Ming dynasty
The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...
. It has subsequently been destroyed and rebuilt several times. The original building was first constructed in 1420, and was based on an eponymous gate of an imperial building in
Nanjing
Nanjing or Nanking is the capital of Jiangsu, a province in East China. The city, which is located in the southwestern corner of the province, has 11 districts, an administrative area of , and a population of 9,423,400.
Situated in the Yang ...
. The gate was completely burned down by
lightning
Lightning is a natural phenomenon consisting of electrostatic discharges occurring through the atmosphere between two electrically charged regions. One or both regions are within the atmosphere, with the second region sometimes occurring on ...
in July 1457. In 1465, the
Chenghua Emperor
The Chenghua Emperor (9 December 1447 – 9 September 1487), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Xianzong of Ming, personal name Zhu Jianshen, changed to Zhu Jianru in 1457, was the ninth emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1464 ...
ordered Zigui (), the Minister of Works, to rebuild the gate. Thus, the design was changed from the original
paifang
A ''paifang'', also known as a ''pailou'', is a traditional style of Chinese architecture, often used in arch or gateway structures.
Etymology
The word ''paifang'' ( zh, c=牌坊, p=páifāng) was originally a collective term for the top two le ...
form to the gatehouse that is seen today. It suffered another blow in the war at the end of the Ming dynasty, when in 1644 the gate was burnt down by rebels led by
Li Zicheng
Li Zicheng (22 September 1606 – 1645), born Li Hongji, also known by his nickname, the Thunder King, was a Chinese Late Ming peasant rebellions, peasant rebel leader who helped overthrow the Ming dynasty in April 1644 and ruled over northe ...
. Following the establishment of the
Qing dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...
and the
Manchu conquest of
China proper
China proper, also called Inner China, are terms used primarily in the West in reference to the traditional "core" regions of China centered in the southeast. The term was first used by Westerners during the Manchu people, Manchu-led Qing dyn ...
, the gate was once again rebuilt, beginning in 1645, and was given its present name upon completion in 1651. The gate was reconstructed again between 1969 and 1970. The gate as it stood was by then 300 years old, and had badly deteriorated, partly due to heavy usage in the 1950s and 1960s. As the gate was a national symbol,
Zhou Enlai
Zhou Enlai ( zh, s=周恩来, p=Zhōu Ēnlái, w=Chou1 Ên1-lai2; 5 March 1898 – 8 January 1976) was a Chinese statesman, diplomat, and revolutionary who served as the first Premier of the People's Republic of China from September 1954 unti ...
ordered that the rebuilding was to be kept secret. The whole gate was covered in scaffolding, and the project was officially called a "renovation". The rebuilding aimed to leave the gate's external appearance unchanged while both making it more resistant to earthquakes and installing modern facilities such as an elevator, water supply, and heating system.
Description

The building is long, wide and high. Like other official buildings of the empire, the gate itself has unique
imperial roof decorations.
Two lions stand in front of the gate, and two more guard the bridges. In Chinese culture, lions are believed to protect humans from evil spirits.
Two stone columns, called
huabiao
Huabiao () is a type of ceremonial column used in traditional Chinese architecture. ''Huabiao'' are traditionally erected in pairs in front of palaces and tombs. The prominence of their placement have made them one of the emblems of tradition ...
, each with an animal (''hou'') on top of it, also stand in front of the gate. Originally, these installations were designed for commoners to address their grievances by either writing or sticking petitions on the columns. However, the examples in front of the Imperial City were purely decorative, and instead connoted the majesty of the imperial government.
The western and eastern walls have giant placards; the left one reads "Long Live the People's Republic of China" (), while the right one reads "Long Live the Great Solidarity of the World's Peoples" (). The right placard used to read "Long Live the Central People's Government" () for the founding ceremony of the PRC, but later it was changed to "Long Live the Great Solidarity of the World's Peoples". Both placards were changed to use
simplified Chinese
Simplification, Simplify, or Simplified may refer to:
Mathematics
Simplification is the process of replacing a mathematical expression by an equivalent one that is simpler (usually shorter), according to a well-founded ordering. Examples include: ...
instead of
traditional Chinese characters
Traditional Chinese characters are a standard set of Chinese character forms used to written Chinese, write Chinese languages. In Taiwan, the set of traditional characters is regulated by the Ministry of Education (Taiwan), Ministry of Educat ...
in 1964. The phrasing has significant symbolic meaning, as the
phrase used for ''long live'', like the Imperial City itself, was traditionally reserved for
Emperors of China
Throughout Chinese history, "Emperor" () was the superlative title held by the monarchs of imperial China's various dynasties. In traditional Chinese political theory, the emperor was the " Son of Heaven", an autocrat with the divine manda ...
, but is now available to the common people.
The reviewing stands in the foreground are used on International Workers Day (
May Day
May Day is a European festival of ancient origins marking the beginning of summer, usually celebrated on 1 May, around halfway between the Northern Hemisphere's March equinox, spring equinox and midsummer June solstice, solstice. Festivities ma ...
) and on the
National Day (October 1) of the People's Republic of China.
In front of the stands is the Imperial City's
moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch dug around a castle, fortification, building, or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. Moats can be dry or filled with water. In some places, moats evolved into more extensive water d ...
, still filled with water but now containing decorative illuminated fountains.
In ancient times, the Tiananmen was among the most important gates encountered when entering Beijing's Imperial City along with the
Yongdingmen,
Qianmen, the
Gate of China. Proceeding further inward, the next gate is the '
Upright Gate', identical in design to the Tian'anmen; behind it is the southern entrance of the
Forbidden City
The Forbidden City () is the Chinese Empire, imperial Chinese palace, palace complex in the center of the Imperial City, Beijing, Imperial City in Beijing, China. It was the residence of 24 Ming dynasty, Ming and Qing dynasty, Qing dynasty L ...
itself, known as the
Meridian Gate.
Portrait
History
Because of the gate's position at the front of the Imperial City, and the historical events that have taken place on
Tiananmen Square
Tiananmen Square or Tian'anmen Square () is a city square in the city center of Beijing, China, named after the Tiananmen ("''Gate of Heavenly Peace''") located to its north, which separates it from the Forbidden City. The square contains th ...
, the gate has great political significance. In 1925, when China was ruled by the
Nationalist government
The Nationalist government, officially the National Government of the Republic of China, refers to the government of the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China from 1 July 1925 to 20 May 1948, led by the nationalist Kuomintang (KMT ...
, a large portrait of
Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-senUsually known as Sun Zhongshan () in Chinese; also known by Names of Sun Yat-sen, several other names. (; 12 November 186612 March 1925) was a Chinese physician, revolutionary, statesman, and political philosopher who founded the Republ ...
was hung at the gate after his death. In 1945, to celebrate the victory over Japan,
Chiang Kai-shek's portrait was hung.
On July 7, 1949, portraits of
Zhu De
Zhu De; (1 December 1886 – 6 July 1976) was a Chinese general, military strategist, politician and revolutionary in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Zhu was born into poverty in 1886 in Sichuan. He was adopted by a wealthy uncle at ...
and
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong pronounced ; traditionally Romanization of Chinese, romanised as Mao Tse-tung. (26December 18939September 1976) was a Chinese politician, revolutionary, and political theorist who founded the People's Republic of China (PRC) in ...
were hung to commemorate the
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was fought between the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China and the Empire of Japan between 1937 and 1945, following a period of war localized to Manchuria that started in 1931. It is considered part ...
.
Since the founding date of the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949, a singular portrait of Mao has been hung on the gate. The portrait is replaced annually before
National Day. On only one occasion, on March 9, 1953, it was temporarily replaced by a portrait of
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...
to commemorate
his death.
In 2011, Alexander Pann Han-tang, chairman of the Asia Pacific Taiwan Federation of Industry and Commerce, and a close friend of Taiwanese president
Ma Ying-jeou
Ma Ying-jeou ( zh, t=馬英九; pinyin: ''Mǎ Yīngjiǔ''; ; born 13 July 1950) is a Taiwanese politician, lawyer, and legal scholar who served as the sixth president of the Republic of China from 2008 to 2016. A member of the Kuomintang (KMT ...
, proposed that the picture of
Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-senUsually known as Sun Zhongshan () in Chinese; also known by Names of Sun Yat-sen, several other names. (; 12 November 186612 March 1925) was a Chinese physician, revolutionary, statesman, and political philosopher who founded the Republ ...
be displayed at Tiananmen Square instead for the
100th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of China.
However, this proposal was rejected.
File:Chiang KaiShek Portrait Tiananmen Beijing.jpg, Portrait of Chiang Kai-shek during the Republic of China
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
era (before 1949)
File:天安門史達林肖像.jpg, Portrait of Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...
put up after his death
Death is the end of life; the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death eventually and inevitably occurs in all organisms. The remains of a former organism normally begin to decompose sh ...
, 1953
File:Picture of Mao Zedong at Tiananmen.JPG, Portrait of Mao Zedong by Ge Xiaoguang
Incidents
The portrait weighs , and is replaced by a spare whenever it is vandalized. In 1989, three dissidents, including
Yu Dongyue, attacked the portrait with eggs during the
1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre
The Tiananmen Square protests, known within China as the June Fourth Incident, were student-led demonstrations held in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, lasting from 15 April to 4 June 1989. After weeks of unsuccessful attempts between t ...
. Yu was sentenced to life imprisonment but was released on bail 17 years later in 2006. On May 12, 2007, the portrait of Mao caught fire. A 35-year-old unemployed man from
Urumqi was arrested for the incident. About 15% of the portrait was damaged, and had to be repaired later. On April 5, 2010, a protester threw ink in a plastic bottle and hit a wall near the portrait. He was then arrested.
National symbol
Due to its historical significance, Tiananmen is featured on the
National Emblem of the People's Republic of China
The National Emblem of the People's Republic of China is a national symbol of the China, People's Republic of China and contains in a red circle a representation of Tiananmen, Tiananmen Gate, the entrance gate to the Forbidden City chinese pa ...
. It has also been featured in the designs of stamps and coins issued by the People's Republic of China.
File:National Emblem of the People's Republic of China (2).svg, National Emblem
Public access
Tiananmen is open to the public each day of the week from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
[(Chinese]
Accessed 2012-02-06 Tickets must be booked online through the
Weixin (Wechat) Mini Program at least one day before; it is not possible to buy tickets on the day or on-site.
Line 1 of the
Beijing Subway
The Beijing Subway is the rapid transit system of Beijing Direct-controlled municipality, Municipality that consists of 29 lines including 24 rapid transit lines, two airport rail links, one maglev line and two light rail, light rail tram line ...
has stops at
Tiananmen West and
Tiananmen East, on each side of Tiananmen.
City buses 1, 2, 5, 52, 82, 120, 1, 2, 1, 2, and 17 stop near Tiananmen.
See also
*
Gate of China, Beijing
*
Di'anmen
References
External links
Tian'anmen – the Gate of Heavenly Peace China.org.cn
{{Authority control
Gates of Beijing
Forbidden City
Tiananmen Square
Ming dynasty architecture
Qing dynasty architecture
Buildings and structures completed in 1420
15th-century establishments in China
Buildings and structures completed in 1651
1650s establishments in China
Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Beijing
National symbols of the People's Republic of China
Dongcheng District, Beijing