Gate of Heavenly Peace (Tian'an Men)
Attraction Tian'anmen, Dongcheng, Beijing, China Published on: 03-08-2016
| 1 hour | |
| 08:30 AM - 05:00 PM | |
| 04:00 PM | |
| 05:00 PM | |
| First-time visit | |
|
Attraction
Cultural
Family
Historic
Kids Friendly
Outdoor
Must see
Kids
Free
|
|
| 0.00 USD |
Gate of Heavenly Peace (Tian'an Men) is good for
Family with kids
Good
Senior
Good
Couple
Good
Solo
Good
Group
Good
- Highly recommended by fellow travellers.
and 2 others
have visited this place
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Why Gate of Heavenly Peace (Tian'an Men) is special ?
Gate of Heavenly Peace (Tian'an Men) was the principal entry to the Imperial Palace during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is one of the finest monumental gates in the world, extraordinary for its imposing size. Gate of Heavenly Peace (Tian'an Men), hung with a vast likeness of Mao Zedong, and guarded by two pairs of Ming stone lions, the double-eaved Gate of Heavenly Peace, north of Tiān’ānmén Square , is a potent national symbol. Built in the 15th century and restored in the 17th century, the gate was formerly the largest of the four gates of the Imperial City Wall, and it was from this gate that Mao proclaimed the People’s Republic of China on 1 October 1949. Today’s political coterie watches mass troop parades from here.
Source: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/
What to explore at Gate of Heavenly Peace (Tian'an Men)?
Above the archway hangs a large portrait of Maozedong, on the east and west sides of which are two giant placards, the left one reading: "Long Live the People's Republic of China" while the right one reading: "Long Live the Great Unity of the World's Peoples." In front of the Tiananmen Tower is golden water bridge, above which spans 7 white marble bridges with fine carvings. Same as the arch gateways, the central bridge as the widest one was reserved for the emperor. In front of the central arch gateway are two a pair of stone columns, called huabiao, each weighs 10 ton and reaches about 10m. The two columns are carved with dragon design and have an animal "Wangtianhou" on top as decoration. Outside the gate there are two lions and two more guarding the bridges. Lions are believed to protect humans from evil spirits in Chinese culture.
Source: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/
How to get to Gate of Heavenly Peace (Tian'an Men)?
Subway Line 1: get off at Tiananmen East or Tiananmen West Station.
Subway Line 2: get off at Qianmen Station and walk north.
Bus Route
Take bus no.1, 5, 10, 22, 37, 52, 205, 728 or 802 and get off at Tiananmen West.
Take bus no.1, 2, 10, 20, 37, 52, 59, 82, 120, 126, 203, 205, 210, 728 or 802 and get off at Tiananmen East.
Take bus no.2, 5, 8, 20, 22, 120, 126, 203, or 210 and get off at Tiananmen Square East.
Take bus no.2, 5, 20, 120, 126 or 210 and get off at Tiananmen Square West.
Source: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/
Selling points
- Big area with lots of people
- Entrance to the Forbidden City
- The most famous symbol of Beijing
- Seven wonders of the world and beyond
- Massive Fortress Wall - Conquered by Mao
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- Duration
- 4.0 days
- Estimated
- 143.03 USD
- Total travel distance
- km
- Number of places
- 12 places
Read more:
Location
Tian'anmen, Dongcheng, Beijing, China
Tips for you
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Tourists who go up to visit the tower are not allowed to take bags along. You can leave your bag at Bag Storage service at the ticket office.Things to do
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Make sure you have an English speaking guide or you will miss the majority of the background.Things to do
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At night the gate is lit up and provides a different look than during the day.What to see
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You should bring suntan, sun glass, hat to save you from sunshine.What to bring
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You need to bring your camera to caught the fascinating sightseeing of the historic place.Photography
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You should avoid Chinese holidays, it will be very crowded and it will be impossible to take pictures.Experience
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You should bring umbrella or raincoat, weather is unpredictable.Equipment
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The reviewing stands flanking on two sides of the tower are opened up for visitors on the first day of each month. Reservation via a local travel agency is a necessary.Timming
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The ticket office is on the north side of the gate. For Forbidden City tickets , keep walking about 600m further north.What to know
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There’s no fee for walking through the gate, en route to the Forbidden City, but if you climb it you’ll have to pay. The fee is CNY 15 for adult; CNY 5 for students and those who are up to 70 years old; free for active army.Ticket and Pricing
Reviews
Probably the biggest square in the world. Security procedures and massive queues make it quite a tiring experience.
One of the iconic images I had before my visit to Beijing was that of the Gate of Heavenly Peace and the famous picture of Mao Zedong at the front of the building. Like all tourist attractions in Beijing you have to be prepared for the large crowds. Usually the first view of the Gate of Heavenly Peace is from Tian'anmen Square itself although you do have to cross under the road to reach the attraction. I was fortunate to see the Gate of Heavenly Peace at sunrise where the sun creates a nice orange tint to the building, during the day and at night when it is beautifully illuminated. At night there are fewer people but still many visitors. The Gate of Heavenly Peace is also the entrance to the Forbidden City, additionally once you have walked thorough the tunnel of the building you enter into several squares, at the far end is another beautiful building which is the Palace Museum. There is also an army barracks within the site. We paid a small sum to go into the gardens - we saw Soldiers being put through their drill practice, some beautiful flowers and gardens and also many arrangements of rocks and stones. It is well worth a visit to see the iconic building that is the Gate of Heavenly Peace, if you have plenty of time then it is worthwhile to look beyond the building. If you are stretched for time then there are other more important places to visit around Tian'anmen Square.
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