And here's a pic of the vast square without our Bus #4 group in the frame. It was a dark fall day with a cold wind --- not ideal for touring but I prefer that to the heat and crowds that this popular location must see in the summer.
The Tiananmen Square was built in 1651 in the centre of Beijing. Further construction in the 1950s quadrupled its size to 109 acres.
There are many halls, museums, monuments and gates built and rebuilt over the hundreds of years not to mention the building name changes that came as new dynasties came into power. The building on the left is the Tiananmen Tower, built in 1417. The building at the far end I think is the Great Hall of the People, built in 1959.
ps. Our local guides were not allowed to talk about the deadly 1989 demonstrations by students who wanted more individual rights and freedoms. Had they discussed that with us, we would have had new guides the next day. Eyes and ears everywhere.
