Tiananmen Square Today.

By

James P. Zaworski


I visited Tiananmen Square at least three times during my two-week stay in Beijing, as part of my one-month adventure odyssey to The Peoples Republic of China. Tiananmen Square is the heart of the cultural and political center of China. It is the largest public square in the world; it borders the Forbidden City on the south side, and is surrounded by places like the Monument to the Peoples Heroes, The Mausoleum of Chairman Mao Zedong, The Great Hall of the People, and some museums. It is physically laid out on a north-south axis, much like Chinese temples and Imperial Palaces, like the Forbidden City, which is right next to it. There are also two gates, situated on the north and south sides of the square, the Tiananmen Gate (gate of heavenly peace) and the Qian Men Gate on the south.

Historically, Tiananmen Square as we see it today, was the brainchild of Chairman Mao Zedong, and is intended to be the showcase for Chinese Communism. The area had always been at the heart of Beijing, though, and being right next to the Forbidden City, it was always near the lifeblood of the heartbeat of the Imperial center.

Most westerners know of Tiananmen Square because of the events of 1989, when a democracy demonstration of students was put down by the Chinese military. The famous scenes of a brave young man standing in the way of a tank haunt the visitors image of Tiananmen Square today.

However, to most Chinese, Tiananmen Square is at the heart of their capital, and is a symbol of pride and cultural heritage. The flag raising ceremony, performed each morning and evening, is attended by hundreds and sometimes thousands of people, to watch the flag of China be raised or lowered. I did not wake up early enough to see the ceremony, but will probably be there again soon enough to check it out. Tiananmen Square is very much like the heart of any nations capital, and can be compared very favorably with Washington DC, as it is a center of pride and national cultural heritage to Americans.

My initial reactions to Tiananmen Square were based on what little I had researched and known through the news from the 1989 events encompassed by the place. I had prejudged a place completely and let this knowledge affect my perception of the place, which is not really a great thing to do. Fortunately, I as an anthropologist with a Chinese national as my travel companion, I could see the place for what it is and not for what it has been perceived to be. I visited it with trepidation the first time, and the photos of me show it. However, on the second and third visits to Tiananmen, I saw it in a completely different light.

People flying kites, children laughing and smiling, old couples holding hands and walking in the wide-open space of Tiananmen. I saw no harsh military presence, no iron fist of oppression. I found that I could relax here and enjoy the place for what it is, and not judge it for what happened here in 1989. In fact, those events seemed vague and far away after a while. Tiananmen Square became my private domain where I could relax, and decide what to do next. If you wanted to get something to eat, there is always some place nearby to cater to almost any taste. The shopping areas to the south are just across the street (well, you go underground to cross the streets here). You can decide to go to the Forbidden City if you liked, or just sit and feed the pigeons.

The views from the center of Tiananmen Square are very impressive. The gates are particularly lovely, especially the Qian Men gate to the south part. The monuments and statues on the edges of the square are very stately, and there is one central pillar as well.
I found that Tiananmen Square was not this gloomy and dark place, as some tourists would have you believe. For one thing, I did not take part in an organized tour, and let my perceptions be shaped by my experiences, and not by what people told me to experience. I think this is important when visiting a place like Tiananmen Square, especially for westerners.

The people of Beijing are very friendly. I got my first official welcome to Beijing by an older woman, speaking in English and saying those words. It was very charming. I was singled out by students from Beijing University more than once, for them to practice their English on one occasion, and on another to be invited to see an exhibition of art by the university for free.

I had a very lovely visit to Tiananmen Square on the three times I visited it. Each time I was accompanied by my lovely traveling companion, Jing, and we both enjoyed our time here very much. Our visit came in winter, so it was not really crowded here at all. Summer visits I am sure are very crowded indeed. Tiananmen Square kind of became a lovely refuge to flock to for solitude in the cold winter of Beijing, away from the souvenir hawkers near the Forbidden City or the bustling market areas nearby.

All in all, if you are in Beijing and want to see the many wonderful sites, include Tiananmen Square in your plans. And leave your judgments behind, and experience it for what it is, one of the great open public places in the capital of one of the great countries of the world.


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