Photos

This is a photo of the impressive Tianenmen Gate on the northern side of Tianenmen Square in Beijing. 'Tianenmen' means 'Gate of Heavenly Peace'.

The gate was built in the 15th century and restored in the 17th.

From the famous square seven parallel bridges lead over a stream to the gate's five doors. In imperial days the centre bridge and door (under Mao's portrait) could only be used by the emperor. Mao's portrait has adorned the central door since the arrival of the communist party in 1949. The text to the left of Mao's image says 'Long Live the People's Republic of China'. On his other side (not in picture) is the text 'Long Live the Unity of the Peoples of the World'.

The rostrum area above Mao's portrait has been used by imperial royalty and communist leaders alike for viewing troops and making speeches to the assembled crowds below. For an idea of scale, you can just about see the backs of 3 people in this area including one directly above the portrait of Mao.

Going through one of the five doorways from Tianenmen Square will lead you to the entrance to the Forbidden City.

PP details: This is a full-frame shot, no cropping. The edges of 2 unsightly trees were encroaching into the frame in the lower-left corner which I cloned out in Photoshop. Also black frame added, otherwise unchanged.

Incidentally, you can't tell from this photo but it was absolutely freezing on the day I took this photo. About -10C but with the added wind chill it was down to about -20C. You can see from the flags how strong the wind was too. My hands and face were completely numb and I hurt all over from the cold after that day!

Regards,

Rich