At the side of the Tienanmen 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.
