One of the largest public squares in the world, originally designed and built in Beijing in 1651 and enlarged in 1958.
It is named for the massive stone "Gate of Heavenly Peace" (Tiananmen) at its northern end. It contains and is surrounded by halls, museums, and monuments, including the Mao Zedong Memorial Hall, where Mao's body rests in state. Tiananmen Square has been the rallying point for political demonstrations since 1919, including the large protests in May–June 1989 that were forcibly repressed. See also Fang Lizhi .