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Pictures of  Tiananmen Square and a silk market

Tiananmen Square  is the large plaza near the center of Beijing, China, named after the Tiananmen Gate of Heavenly Peace which sits to its north, separating it from the Forbidden City.


The square has great cultural significance as a symbol because it was the site of several key events in Chinese history.

Outside of China, the square is best known for the Tiananmen Square Massacre.

The square is 880 meters south to north and 500 meters east to west, a total area of 440,000 square meters, which makes it the largest open-urban square in the world.

The Tiananmen was built in 1417 in the Ming Dynasty. In 1699, the Tiananmen was renovated and renamed to its present form. During the Ming and Qing eras, there was no public square at Tiananmen, and instead the area was filled with offices for imperial ministries. These were badly damaged during the Boxer Rebellion and the area was cleared to produce the beginning of Tiananmen Square.

Near the centre of today's square, close to the site of the Mao Zedong Mausoleum, once stood one of the most important gates of Beijing. This gate was known as the "Great Ming Gate" during the Ming Dynasty, "Great Qing Gate" during the Qing Dynasty, and "Gate of China"  during the Republic of China era.

Unlike the other gates in Beijing, such as the Tiananmen and the Qianmen, this was a purely ceremonial gateway, with three arches but no ramparts, similar in style to the ceremonial gateways found in the Ming Dynasty Tombs. This gate had a special status as the "Gate of the Nation", as can be seen from its successive names. It normally remained closed, except when the Emperor passed through.

In the early 1950s, China Gate was demolished along with the Chessgrid Streets to the south, completing the expansion of Tiananmen Square to its current size.

We also visited a Chinese pharmacy and a silk market of which there are some pictures below.

Click on the image to enlarge, use your browsers back button to return.

     
Tiananmen Square
Tiananmen Square from across the street at the Forbidden City. One walks down through an underpass to reach the square. A view of the underpass.
     
Picture of Tiananmen Square Photo of Tiananmen Square Photograph of Tiananmen Square
Here it is... the famous Tiananmen Square. It's really a large place. And there are only about a zillion people there.
     
Tiananmen Square - picture Images Tiananmen Square Tiananmen Square - Photoraphs
     
     
Tiananmen Square - picutures Tiananmen Square in Beijing China Beijing China - Tiananmen Square
     
     
Pictures of medicines in a Chinese pharmacy.
    Pictures of medicines in a Chinese pharmacy.
     
Pictures of chinese medicine in a Chinese pharmacy in Beijing pictures chinese medicine pictures chinese pharmacy
     
     
photos of chinese medicnine in a chinese pharmacy traditional chinese medicine Images chinese pharmacy
     
     
Chinese medicine Outside the pharmacy in Beijing
  The entrance to the pharmacy.  
     
pictures of Beijing China
On our way in a cab to see a silk market.    
     
Beijing China
     
     
Photos of Beijing
     
     
photos of China Picture of Beijing China
     
     
     
     
Picture of entrance to silk market
    We arrive at the silk market.
     
Pictures of raw silk cocoons are unwound into long threads of silk. Pictures of silk processing equipment in Beijing
Gobs of silk. This is where the cocoons are unwound into long threads of silk. More silk processing equipment.
     
pictures of shopping for silk Photographs of a silk shopping show room
Ahhh...now we can shop for silk stuff. Fairly large show room.  
     
shopping for silk -  pictures silk factory
Our charming guide helps Kathy shop for silk thingys.    
     
Picture of ubiquitous construction cranes.
    More of those ubiquitous construction cranes.