GREAT HALL OF THE PEOPLE

The Great Hall of the People, on the west side of Tian'anmen Square was built in Soviet style during the late 1950's. China's People's Congress meets infrequently and at that time the building is closed to the public, otherwise it is open for tours.

From the outside the building looks large, but its size cannot be fully appreciated without taking a look for one's self. The banquet hall seats 5,000 for special event dining, and the assembly hall seats just under 10,000. There are 30 reception rooms each named for a region or a city. The decor of each room compliments the style or history of each area.

Large murals of Chinese landscape are featured throughout this otherwise somber building.