Beijing: Tian’anmen Square

On December 14, 2011, I set off from Tian’anmen Square and headed for Zhengyang Gate, watchtower, and took the photos of Qianmen Street.

Unfortunately, the light did not turn on in the turret, Shenwu Gate and the Meridian Gate. I had to change my way to the Tian’anmen Square, because only the night lamps here are open as normal as well. Waiting for the moonrise is full of fun.

The Zhengyang Gate is always in darkness. Since the complete of the watchtower in the Zhengyang Gate, it has been the symbol of ancient Beijing.

Viewing the Qianmen Street from the door opening of the watchtower is quite interesting. This is the only one gate that sets the door opening of watchtower among all the nine gates in inner city, which is specially built for the emperor and the empress’s sedan. Standing on the stone road, you are always reminded of the remote past history — the place where you stand on is rightly the royal way for ancient emperors’ outgoing, and the door of the watchtower is only open when the emperor needed to go out the the city. All the collapsed and faulted slabstone had witnessed the vicissitudes of the history. The slabstone is still as it was, but ahead of which is totally another modern commercial street.

The night scene of the Tian’anmen Square is very spectacular. If you are planing a Beijing to Xian tour, then you’d better come here at night, just for advice. Actually, when you have a xian tour another great city wall will present you a more profound history.