Brief Intro

Great Hall of the People

The Great Hall of the People lies to the west of Tian'anmen Square, south of the West Chang'an Street. It is where the National People's Congress is held and it is the place for state leaders and the mass to stage political and diplomatic activities.

The Great Hall of the People, one of the "Ten Great Constructions" completed in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the founding of PRC, was built in just 10 months from October 1958 to September 1959. Facing east, the hall covers an area of 150,000sqm, 336m long from south to north, 206m wide from east to west and 46.5m high. The building area of the Great Hall of the People reaches to 171,800sqm, even larger than that of the Forbidden City, hence the largest among the hall structures in the world.

The Great Hall of the People takes on a "山" shape in a bird's eye view, center part higher than the two side wings, doors on four sides. The main gate of the great hall is the East Gate, the lintel above which is beset with the national emblem of PRC.

Inner Structures 

The Great Hall of the People is divided into three sections. The central part mainly includes the Great Auditorium, and the Central Hall. The northern section consists of the State Banquet Hall, the Salute State Guest Hall and other magnificent halls. The southern part is the office building of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of China. Each province, special administrative region, or autonomous region of China has its own hall in the Great Hall, such as Beijing Hall, Hong Kong Hall and Taiwan Hall. Each hall has the unique characteristics of the province and is furnished according to the local style.

 Great Auditorium & Central Hall
Entering the East Gate, passing two halls, one will reach the Central Hall. Covering an area of 3,600sqm, The Central Hall has colorful marble floor and walls. Six main gates standing in the Central Hall lead to the Great Auditorium. In the heart of the Great Hall, the Great Auditorium is 60m deep from east to west, 76m wide from south to north and 33m high. Fan-shaped, the dais is visible everywhere. The Great Auditorium seats 3,693 in the lower auditorium, 3,515 in the balcony, 2,518 in the gallery and 300 to 500 on the dais, holding as many as 10,000 representatives in total. The lower auditorium is equipped with electric devices, available for simultaneous interpretation in 12 languages. The ceiling is decorated with a large ruby like star surrounded by a galaxy of lights. 

 Salute State Guest Hall & State Banquet Hall
Entering the North Gate, passing two halls, one will reach the Companionship Hall. With an area of 4,500sqm, the Companionship Hall is paved with marble floor. To the east is the State Guest Meeting Hall and to the west is the State Guest Banquet Hall, serving as the sites for state leaders to meet and banquet state guests. To the south is a big white marble ladder with 62 steps up to the State Banquet Hall. At the top of the ladder is the Salute State Guest Hall, the place for state leaders and guests to take group photos as souvenirs before the banquet. The biggest traditional Chinese painting of the Great Hall, Jiangshanruciduojiao (Literally means "Beauty is the land"), is placed in the Salute State Guest Hall. The State Banquet Hall rests on the second floor. With an area of 7,000 square meters, it can entertain 7,000 guests, and up to 5,000 people can dine at one time, as was done on the occasion of Richard Nixon's visit to China in 1972.

Usage

The Great Hall of the People is the political hub of Beijing and home of the National People's Congress. Every year, in March, the Great Hall of the People plays host to the liang hui, literally means "two meetings" (Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and the National People's Congress) event. Representatives of the two meetings meet in sessions lasting for two to three weeks at the Great Auditorium. The Communist Party of China (CPC) also holds its National Congress every five years in the Great Hall of the People. This enormous building is open to the public when national conference is not in session, and visitors are shown in a selection of routes. In recent years, some non-political conventions and concerts have also been held in the Great Hall.
 

Admission Fee:	CNY 30 (adult); CNY 15 (student)
Opening Hours:	09:00 to 14:00 (Jan. Feb. Mar. Dec.); 08:15 to 15:00 (Apr. May. Jun.); 07:30 to 16:00 (Jul. Aug.); 08:30 to 15:00 (Spe. Oct. Nov.)
Subway:	Subway Line 1: get off at Tiananmen West Station, and you'll find the Great Hall of the People on the west of the Tianmenmen Square. Sunbway Line 2: get off at Qianmen Station and walk north.
Bus Route:	Take bus no.1, 5, 10, 22, 37, 52, 205, 728 or 802 and get off at Tiananmen West. Take bus no.1, 2, 10, 20, 37, 52, 59, 82, 120, 126, 203, 205, 210, 728 or 802 and get off at Tiananmen East. Take bus no.2, 5, 8, 20, 22, 120, 126, 203, or 210 and get off at Tiananmen Square East. Take bus no.2, 5, 20, 120, 126 or 210 and get off at Tiananmen Square West.

 Tips:
1. Tickets can be bought with valid certificates, and take turns to get into the Great Hall from the East Gate.
2. Bags should be stored in the Left Luggage Room before entering the Great Hall. Guns, ammunition and dangerous goods are strictly prohibited.
3. It is closed to the public when there are national conferences or other big political activities.

 Other Attractions around Tiananmen Square:
 Tiananmen Tower
 Chairman Mao Memorial Hall
 Monument to People's Heroes
 National Museum of China