A few weeks back I journeyed downtown in Beijing, China to see Tiananmen Square. I also planned to check out the Forbidden City, but the crowds of visitors were simply too large. This area is of course a "must see" destination for anyone visiting Beijing, but it is also a "must see" spot for people from all around China as well.
I first visited Tiananmen Square in the Winter of 2002. It was bitterly cold and there were definitely fewer people (probably due to the -20C temperatures). There was also a lot less security than now. If you want to visit the Square or the Forbidden City you have to pass through an airport-style security check, the same as you do when entering the city's subway system.
Enjoy the photos
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| Entering Tiananmen Square right after the security check. |
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| Mao's Mausoleum |
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| Forbidden City as seen from the square |
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| Soldiers guarding the square |
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| National Museum as seen from the Square |
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| Mobile convenience stores in the Square |
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| Stopping for a photo |
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| Mobile cleaning staff |
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| Tour groups posing for group photos. Great Hall of the People in the background. |
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| You can pay photographers to take you picture and develop them on the spot. |
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| Mao's Mausoleum in the distance |
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| Taking a break |
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| More group photos |
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| People dressed in their best. Lots of visitors are from the rural areas of China. |
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| Photo developers. |
The writer:
Kevin O’Shea is the host of the Just Japan Podcast the guy behind JustJapanStuff. Kevin is a Canadian educator who lived in Kobe, Japan for almost 10 years and is based in Beijing, China.
Follow him on Twitter: @jlandkev
Education Twitter: @MadForMaple
Nature photography and stuff: Just Wildlife
Facebook: Facebook.com/justjapanstuff
Email: justjapanpodcast@gmail.com
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