As you will no doubt have noticed, Tiananmen Square is dominated by the gigantic Mausoleum of Mao, which takes up around 34,000 square meters. Inaugurated in September 1977, this rectangular construction is surrounded by 44 pillars with octagonal bases that support the roof, resting on a large Bordeaux granite foundation.
At the front and back are clay sculpture groups representing scenes from the Chinese revolution and depicting 62 people, sculpted by 100 artists from 18 provinces in China.
There are three halls you can visit inside the Mausoleum. The first is a large hall dominated by a large white statue of Mao Zedong, seated. The second contains the crystal coffin with the embalmed body of the Chinese leader, wrapped in the Communist Party flag; visitors may stand near it for a maximum of two minutes. A third room is used for the sale of souvenirs.
Take a moment to admire the large column in the center of the Square: the Monument to the People’s Heroes, inaugurated on May 1st, 1958. Engraved in glazed letters on one side of the monument are the words of Mao Zedong: "Eternal glory to the People’s Heroes". On the other side is a long, gilded epitaph composed by Mao to commemorate those who laid down their lives for freedom. The other sides are sculpted with five-point stars, pine trees and flags.
On the Buddhist-style base, you can see eight enormous bas-reliefs, depicting the main events of the revolution, arranged clockwise in chronological order.
At the side of the square stands the imposing Great Hall of the People, the seat of the Chinese parliament, which also hosts state ceremonies and Communist Party conferences. It was built in just 10 months, between 1958 and 1959, and occupies an area of 150,000 square meters, making it, apparently, the largest conference hall in the world. It is open to the public only when parliament is not meeting.
An interesting fact: 700,000 volunteers worked for free to build the Mausoleum of Mao.
