BootsnAll Travel Network



Tiananmen Square, Beijing

The world will always view Tiananmen Square as a violent blow to the democratic hopes of China’s young people. When you scratch the surface of this event you’ll find that the communists won not only the battle of June 4, 1989 but have continued to win the ideological battles that have sprouted as the economy has boomed. While continuing to promote free market ideals they refuse to give in to the idea of democracy.

The Tiananmen Square incident has been successfully cleansed from the history books with even the infamous “tank man” photograph unrecognizable to China’s younger generations. For a great documentary on this subject check out PBS Frontline’s “The Tank Man,” viewable online (but not in China).

In today’s Tiananmen it’s still hard to ignore the autocratic feel of the place. Cameras are everywhere as well as military guard marching in perfect 108 step/minute strides. At sunrise and sunset crowds amass at the north end of the square to watch the goose stepping soldiers raise and lower the Chinese flag. About 20 minutes after the evening ceremony the square is cleared of all people and lies empty at night. No street performers here.
In the center of the square is the towering Monument of the People’s Heroes behind which sits Chairman Mao’s mausoleum for those who like to go see pickled dead bodies of controversial leaders. It’s currently closed for renovation as is the National Museum to the east, making a big boring square just a bit more dull.



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