10th Oct 08 - Tiananmen Square and the National Opera House

Tiananmen Square is the world's largest public square covering 99 acres with standing room for 300,000 people.

I guess that most people's first visual recollection of Tiananmen Square is this picture of the young man standing in front of the tank in June 1989. Over 3000 students were massacred in one day. The tour guide refused (was forbidden?) to talk about it.

Now it is full of flower displays! This one celebrating the 2008 Olympics

...and tourists and office workers out in the sunshine eating their lunch

The Monument to the Fallen in front of the Great Hall of the People

Great Hall of the People

Chairman Mao is still around though

The quite amazing new National Opera House