In 1969, the central government ordered the secret demolition and reconstruction of Tiananmen Square

Mondo Social Updated on 2024-01-19

Opening:

Tiananmen Square, located in the heart of Beijing, is adjacent to a number of cultural attractions, most notably for its stunning architecture and special political status.

In 1949, the founding ceremony of the People's Republic of China was held here that shocked the world and fixed the symbol of China. However, perhaps less well known is that Tiananmen was not what it is today.

It wasn't until 1969, according to the instructions of **, that Tiananmen Square underwent a secret renovation and construction, and it took on the magnificent scene we see today.

Why, then, was Tiananmen so completely rebuilt in the first place?

1. Long History:

The history of Tiananmen Square can be traced back to the Ming Dynasty, and it was originally called "Chengtianmen", which was ordered to be built by Zhu Di, the king of Yan, after moving the capital to Beijing.

The naming is inspired by the Chengtianmen Gate in Nanjing, and contains the meaning of the emperor's mission to heaven. Originally built as a non-fire-resistant wooden structure, it was damaged in a fire in 1457 and was restored eight years later.

The scale of the new Chengtian Gate is even grander, nine rooms wide and five deep, symbolizing the supremacy of the ninety-five and the supremacy of imperial power, which is of great significance.

However, with the change of dynasties, Chengtianmen had a bad fate. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, Li Zicheng invaded Beijing, and Chengtianmen was destroyed.

It was not until 1645 that it was rebuilt under the order of Emperor Shunzhi, and it was officially renamed Tiananmen Square at this time, which means "being ordered by heaven and governing the country in peace".

For more than 600 years, it has stood tall and witnessed the ups and downs of the Chinese nation. In 1949, he stood on the Tiananmen Tower and announced the founding of the People's Republic of China to the world, which made the symbolism of Tiananmen Square look new.

It is no longer the "city wall of the Son of Heaven", but the birthplace of New China, and has also become one of the landmark buildings of New China, appearing on the national emblem.

2. Rebuilding Tiananmen Square

However, the reconstruction of Tiananmen Square was not without its challenges.

In 1966, a ** became the direct cause of the restoration of Tiananmen Square. Although Tiananmen had undergone several simple repairs before that, it remained as it was in its original state.

Until 1966, 6Magnitude 8**, the earthquake was felt in Beijing, and although most of the buildings were not significantly affected, the structural support of Tiananmen Square was severely damaged.

Even if it was reinforced in time, the consequences of an accident in a castle tower where political leaders frequently appeared would be unimaginable.

Therefore, it was decided to carry out a complete construction.

Under the advocacy of ***, the entire construction process was carried out in secrecy.

The construction took 112 days and was completed at an astonishing pace. Strict selection of technicians carried out multiple processes such as disassembly, carpentry, painting, and gilding, and finally the brand-new Tiananmen Tower was presented to people.

It cannot be ignored that there were also some hiccups during the construction process, such as the cannonballs from the Eight-Nation Coalition period that were found during the dismantling of the west gable, and the discovery of precious items inside the ancient box.

3. New city building, new beginning:

In 1988, Tiananmen Square was officially opened to the public and became an important place to showcase the scenery of Beijing.

Tourists from all over the world have taken to the tower to catch a glimpse of Beijing.

On the day of ticket sales, countless tourists come to line up before dawn. An elderly man named Gao Xiwu bought the first ticket and became the first tourist to climb the tower after the opening of Tiananmen Square.

This moment was a great honor for him, and it made him excited.

Today, Tiananmen Square belongs to the people of the whole country and is a treasure of Chinese history, carrying the dreams and hopes of the people and the pride of every Chinese.

Despite the vicissitudes of life, its greatness will last forever, "The bleak autumn wind is now again, and the world has changed!."

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