In the early 1420s a narrow central corridor passed from the southern entrance of the Imperial City right to what is today the Gate of Heavenly Peace, Tiananmen. This thoroughfare followed a meridian line which cut right through the Imperial and Forbidden Cities. In the 1950s the gate at the southern end of this corridor was torn down and to its north a square was created. Following the death of Chairman Mao in 1976 the square was enlarged and the site of the former gate was chosen for a mausoleum where his embalmed body would be laid to rest in a crystal coffin. The square now occupies 440,000 square meters making it the third largest public square in the world. North of the mausoleum resides the square’s tallest structure, a Monument to the People’s Heroes, engraved with Mao’s words, “The People’s Heroes are Immortal.” Between 1958 and 59 ‘Ten Great Buildings’ were hastily constructed around Beijing to commemorate ten years of Communist rule. Among them the Great Hall of the People, which remains the site of the China National People’s Congress and recently restored National Museum flank the western and eastern sides of the square respectively. The square’s northern precinct houses the national flag, separated from today’s Tiananmen Gate by Chang’an Avenue which cuts an east-west axis through the city and remains important in military parades. The square has been the site of several key events in Chinese history, including the May 4th protest in 1919. On October 1st 1949 Mao stood on the top of Tiananmen Gate and proclaimed the founding of the People’s Republic of China. The square continues to play an important role in National Day celebrations, and is emerging as a symbol of confidence and self-reliance for the Chinese government.