Monday, November 14, 2011

The Great Hall of the People and Chairman Mao Memorial Hall

I never thought I would visit China’s political center before my own country’s, but life can be surprising at times. The Great Hall of the People is the political hub of Beijing and home of the National People’s Congress. It functions as China's parliament building, and essentially the equivalent of Capital Hill in Washington D.C. The first time we went, it was closed to the public as the communist party officials were in session. Returning today we were able to visit rooms on all three floors including the banquet hall that hosted Presidents Barrack Obama and Hu Jintao back in 2009.


The Chairman Mao Memorial Hall is the final resting place of Mao Zedong, the chairman of the Communist Party from 1945 until his death in 1976. The body of Mao was embalmed following his death and laid in a glass coffin, which is on display for public viewing in the mausoleum located in the middle of Tiananmen Square, in Beijing, the capital of China. Thousands of people stand in long lines every day to see the former chairman, many paying tribute to him with white flowers. (Wikipedia.com)

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