The Great Hall of the People in Beijing

The Great Hall of the People in Beijing

The Hall is also used for many special events, including national level meetings of various social and political organisations, large anniversary celebrations, as well as the memorial services for former leaders. The Great Hall of the People is also a popular attraction in the city frequented by tourists visiting the capital.
English Name: Great Hall of the People in Beijing
Chinese Name: 北京人民大会堂
Entrance Fee: CNY 30
Recommended Visiting Hours: 1 or 2 hours
Location: The western edge of Tiananmen Square in Beijing

More Picture

The Great Hall of the People

The Great Hall of the People is a state building located at the western edge of Tiananmen Square in Beijing. It is used for legislative and ceremonial activities by the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the ruling Communist Party of China. The People’s Great Hall functions as the meeting place for the full sessions of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the Chinese legislature, which occurs every year during March along with the national session of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), a political advisory body. It is also the meeting place of the National Congress of the Communist Party of China, which, since 1982, has occurred once every five years and the party’s Central Committee which meets approximately once a year.

Introduction of Great Hall of the People

History

The Great Hall of the People was opened in September 1959 as one of the “Ten Great Constructions” completed for the 10th Anniversary of the PRC. After design proposals were submitted a group of architects from across the country chose the winning design by Zhao Dongri and Shen Qi. Zhang Bo was appointed as the chief architect. The construction took 10 months, 7,785 workers and was fashioned with military-like strategies that emulated the Great Leap Forward.

Description

Designed to symbolize the national unity and ethnic equality of the nation, the Great Hall embodied the new Chinese character of time in its features, proportion and details. The building covers 171,801 square metres (1,849,239 sq ft) of floor space, it is 356 metres in length and 206.5 metres in width. The centre’s highest point reaches 46.5 metres. At the eaves of the main gate hangs the national emblem of the PRC.

The Great Hall of the People consists of three sections.

  • The central section principally includes the Great Auditorium, the Main Auditorium, the Congress Hall (Standing Committee of SCPCC meets in conference), the Central Hall, the Golden Hall and other main halls.
  • The northern section consists of the State Banquet Hall, the Salute State Guest Hall, the North Hall, the East Hall, the West Hall and other large halls.
  • The southern part is the office building of the Standing Committee of the People’s Congress of China.

How to get to Great Hall of the People

By Subway

  • Take Subway Line 1 to Tiananmen West Station, and you’ll find the Great Hall of the People on the west of the Tianmenmen Square.
  • Take Subway Line 2 to Qianmen Station and walk north.

By Bus

  • Take Tourist Bus Line 1 to Tian’anmen.
  • Take bus 1, 5, 52, Sightseeing Bus Line 1, Sightseeing Bus Line 2 or Tourist Bus Line 2, and get off at Tian’anmen West.
  • Take bus 1, 2, 52, 59, 82, 120, Sightseeing Bus Line 2 or Tourist Bus Line 2 to Tian’anmen East, and then walk west for about 3 minutes. 

Useful Travel Tips

  • Opening hours
    Dec. – Mar.: 9:00 – 14:00
    Apr. – Jun.: 8:15 – 15:00
    Jul. – Aug.: 7:30 – 16:00
    Spe. – Nov.: 8:30 – 15:00
  • Tickets can be bought with passports, and take turns to get into the Great Hall from the East Gate.
  • Bags should be stored in the Left Luggage Room before entering the Great Hall.
  • It is closed to the public when there are national conferences or other big political activities.

More Attractions in Beijing

Edited by  Lynette Fu/付云锐