Tianamen Square -Carissa Serbousek

This morning we embarked on our journey to Tianamen Square.  When we arrived our tour guide warned us it would be busy but I didn't fully comprehend just HOW crowded it would be. We were warned about street vendors and told to avoid the, and that they would be very aggressive.

Once we parked they immediately started to swarm. Staying together in such a dense crowd proved to be difficult. We were pushed through the entry gate like sardines and led through the square.  Tianamen Square is the worlds 3rd largest public square and can hold one million people. Tourists from all over the world and throughout china visit it every year. It is not simply a tourist destination but a major political center as well. It is a major symbol of Beijing and all of China.  

In the center of the square is a large building that seats public officials when they have meetings. To the left is a building that still houses Mao Zedongs body that you can wait in line to see.  We, however, didn't get to see it because the wait takes hours to see it for several seconds.  In the center of the square is a giant memorial for all the people that have fought in Chinas wars including the Opium War and the Boxer Rebellion.

 To the right of the square across the street is what the square is named for Tianamen Squarebmeans "heavenly gate" and this is the entrance that leads to the Forbidden City.  Above it is a portrait of chairman Mao Zedong who proclaimed the new republic on Oct. 1 1949. Directly behind that is a picture of Sun Yatsen surrounded by fountains.  

Many tourists come here from throughout China who have not seen Americans before so you could say we were quite popular.  Many of the, came up to us asking to take pictures with and of us which I thought was pretty interesting and rather flattering.  This was such a interesting experience because I learned all about this and watched videos of it in my classes and then,not actually see it and be there in real life is just amazing.  

Carissa Serbousek