Maos Final Resting Place
May 30th, 2008 by admin
Tiananmen Square is probably the biggest square in the world; it is located at the Centre of Beijing China’s capital. Though the square is infamous for the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests also become a tourist attraction for its cultural and historical significance. The history of the square dates back to the 15th century when Tiananmen Gate was built during the Ming dynasty. The square was later used as a base by British and French troops that invade China in 1860. However the present nature of Tiananmen Square only came to be when troops required a place to assemble during the 1900’s Boxer Rebellion, thus Tiananmen Square was built in its present form.
Since its inception the Square has been used as a public gathering place as it is ideally suited for the purpose with over 100 acres of perfectly flat paved floor area, save for a 38 meter high monument known as the Monument to the People’s Heroes. However the particular veneration the Chinese have for Tiananmen Square can be attributed to Mao Zedong’s Mausoleum which was built here in 1977; Mao was the undisputed leader of the Chinese communist party during the Cultural Revolution.
Along the western side of the square is the Great Hall of the People and is used for ceremonial functions by the government. The architecture of the building is obviously meant to reflect the reformist agenda of the Communist party and to exude the power of the Chinese people; it was one of the “ten great constructions” planned for the tenth anniversary of the Cultural Revolution.
On the eastern side of Tiananmen Square is the National Museum of China it is a veritable treasure trove of history and art of China. The museum effectively combines the Museum of the People’s Revolution and the Museum of Chinese History. Located in the centre of China’s bustling capital- Beijing the Tiananmen Square is a must see attraction. For long stay travelers Beijing serviced apartments can be found close to the Tiananmen Square.
Naveen Marasinghe is an Online Marketing Executive at eMarketingEye which is a search engine marketing company that offers integrated Internet marketing services and specializes in serving the online travel and hospitality industry. ( http://www.emarketingeye.com/ )
Tags: chairman mao, mao tse tsung, tiananmen square, beijing serviced apartments
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