Tian An Men--The gate of Heavenly Peace

Early Spring, 1981	September 23, 2005
Tian An Men is one of the most important icons of state power in China. Situated in the center of Beijing, at the main entrance to the old Imperial Palace, and facing the largest city square in the world, Tian An Men was the stage upon which Chairman Mao delivered his famous “China has stood up” speech marking the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. In the three decades of Communist rule prior to the time of this photo, numerous May Day parades, and carefully orchestrated “mass rallies,” to celebrate the People’s Republic, and the cult of Mao were staged here. Rumor has it Tian An Men sustained heavy damage from the devastating Tangshan earthquake, in July of 1976. According to rumor, the structure was covered up to hide the extent of the damage, and very quickly repaired. (Earthquakes and other natural disasters have traditionally been considered signs of Heaven’s displeasure with China’s rulers, and often have marked the downfall of dynasties. Therefore rulers often seek to downplay and cover up such damage.) According to official records, the 1976 Tangshan earthquake killed over 240,000 people; others place the death toll closer to half a million, making it the worst earthquake of the 20th century. In spite of the desperate need for quick action and specialized equipment, China retained its “self reliance” and refused all offers of international aid. Later this insistence on self reliance at the cost of so many lives was blamed on the callousness of Gang of Four, who were effectively ruling China at the time; Chairman Mao’s health was failing, and he died later that year. The traffic on Chang An Avenue, in front of Tian An Men, was typical. The green car was a Shanhai Sedan, the most common car in China at the time, and for many years the only car mass produced in China. Based on a 1940’s design, they had never seen a need to change anything, and still were producing brand new cars using that decades-old design. The blue car was a Polish model, and the black cars were recent imports from Japan. There were no private cars. All cars were owned by a danwei, or “work unit.” Virtually all work units at that time were state-owned enterprises. The bicycle was by far the preferred mode of transport for ordinary people. The first “Ring Road” was under construction, following the outline of the old city walls. It included separate side roadways for bikes, with overpass clearances far too short for anything but bike traffic. Some foreigners made fun of it as “a freeway for bicycles,” and said it will never see much use because it doesn’t really go anywhere. The thought of a major city being built around the bicycle as the main mode of transportation was intriguing, however, to many of us. It represented a different way of thinking, and built on China’s strengths. It seemed to be saying China would choose its own way—a more appropriate way for China—to modernize, and not blindly copy the industrialized world. This thought gave us hope for the future, since we could not imagine the environmental cost of China following the same development path as the industrialized world.	There is almost no visible change in Tian An Men. Even the lamp posts are the same. The trees on the left have grown taller. The slogans on either side of Chairman Mao’s portrait still read “Long Live the People’s Republic of China” and “Long Live the Unity of the Peoples of the World.” Popular tourist attractions such as this are well maintained, and seem to be continually undergoing maintenance or restoration. The car traffic on Chang An Avenue, is much heavier than before, though this broad avenue seems designed to handle even more traffic. Taxis are everywhere, and very inexpensive. The bicycle still is a major mode of transportation, but no longer is the dominant mode it once was. Large numbers of ordinary Chinese now own cars. Although still definitely a luxury, a new car can be purchased for under $4,000 U.S., (though taxes, licensing, and parking can increase the cost substantially) and gas runs $2 a gallon. Beijing has clearly decided to become a city based on cars. Far-flung suburbs are springing up like mushrooms in the plains surrounding Beijing. In 1980 the first “Ring Road,” was being built following the lines of the demolished city walls. Now Beijing, with 13 million residents, is home to 1.5 million cars—10% of all cars in China, and is completing the 6th concentric Ring Road, and planning a 7th. Traffic jams are so common that drivers joke that Beijing’s Ring Roads are “China’s Largest Parking Lot.” The term “New Driver” has become part of the vernacular, as in “Be careful riding your bike, there are many new drivers on the roads.” Beijing also has greatly expanded its subway system, recently adding a light rail to the northwest suburbs.