Aloha to Beijing - Tiananmen Square

Let's start with the breakfast buffet at the Penta Hotel.  Considering the hotel caters to Western tourists, it offered English breakfast,

Continental breakfast,

and Chinese breakfast.  It also offered American breakfast (but cereal is not very photographic).    The breakfast variety gave us energy for a busy day!

Our visit to Beijing corresponded with a three day holiday.  Thus, we encountered many locals and tourists at Tiananman Square.   Above is the National Museum of China.   From Wikipedia (link),

Tiananmen Square is a large city square in the center of Beijing, China, named after the Tiananmen Gate (Gate of Heavenly Peace) located to its North, separating it from the Forbidden City. Tiananmen Square is the third largest city square in the world (440,000 m² - 880m by 500m or 109 acres - 960 by 550 yd). It has great cultural significance as it was the site of several important events in Chinese history.

The Tiananmen square was designed and built in 1651, and has since enlarged four times its original size in the 1950s.

Center stage is the Monument of the People's Heroes (Chinese: 人民英雄纪念碑; Rénmín Yīngxióng Jìniànbēi).  It was built in 1958.

The square is home to the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall (Chinese: 毛主席紀念堂; Máo Zhǔxí Jìniàntáng).

This guard is probably the most photographed official in China!

Mao's monument is flanked by two reliefs of the revolution.

The square also hosts the central government.

Tianamanen Gate (below) leads to the Forbidden City - a treasure to behold!

Mahalo,

Kim in Korea