The Best Time To visit Tian’anmen Square:
If at all possible, you must go check out the square at night as well as during the day. The atmosphere at night is different again and the square is beautifully lit. On a cold winter night with fog is really something. But don't arrive too late, at 10.30pm the soldiers come and evacuate the whole thing in minutes and its sealed off for the night. At sunrise and sunset the flag to the front of the square is raised or lowered by a squad of army personnel. This in itself is an interesting thing to watch. All the traffic on the busy Chang An Avenue is halted, around 30 soldiers march very ceremoniously across the road and the flag is hoisted up, or down the poll. Many people come to watch this, so get there an hour or so before if you want a good view.
How to Get to Tian’anmen Square:
Getting to Tiananmen Square is best done by subway or walking as taxis are not really allowed to stop anywhere near it. The are two subway stations on line 1, Tiananmen East (116) and Tiananmen West (117). They are both inconveniently situated a 5 to 7 minute walk away from the center of the square so there is no best station. Walking from the south entrance to Wangfujing Street takes about 20 minutes and is very pleasant. Just find the Beijing Hotel on Changan Avenue, walk past it and keep going west on Changan Avenue. Tickets and Hours of Tian’anmen Square: Admission Fee: Free for visiting the square; CNY 15 for ascending the Tiananmen Tower Opening Hours: Flag-Raising Time - Flag-Lowering Time (Please refer to 2012 Timetable for Flag-Raising Ceremony for the schedule)
Tips:
1. Before you plan your trip to Tiananmen Square, you are advised to pay attention to the official notice to the visitors.
2. For security reason, Tiananmen Square is a fenced square circled by low iron grids with main four entrances – east, west, south and north. The square is now open to the public till midnight, but all the tourists have to pass a security check before they enter the square. So check points have been set up at all the entrances leading to the square.
3. Usually you have to queue up for visiting the mausoleum especially on Chinese public holidays.
4. There are two toilets adjoining the National Museum of China on the east of Tiananmen Square. So you just go out of the east exit and move on directly to the toilets in the annex to the museum.
Wonderful Beijing
Tours including Visit to Tian'anmen Square
Hotels surrounding Tian'anmen Square