90-Gigapixel Tiananmen National Day Panorama | Looking Over Tiananmen Square from the Gate Tower | 360° Gigapixel Panorama

Gigapixel View | Tiananmen Square on National Day

When we learned that visitors could access the Tiananmen Gate Tower, we rushed to Beijing. We wanted to stand atop the tower, from the historic vantage point of the founding of New China, and use panoramic imagery to let audiences immerse themselves in the unique grandeur of Tiananmen Square during National Day.

We arrived at Tiananmen on September 26. Back then, visitors only needed to cross the Golden Water Bridge and buy tickets on site to ascend the tower. Tickets cost only 15 yuan, and tripods plus telephoto cameras were permitted, making it an extremely rare shooting opportunity. Today, real-name reservation is required through the official Tiananmen Gate Tower Visit Reservation website, WeChat account, or Jingtong. Tickets can be booked for dates from the next day through the following seven days. There are no same-day tickets and no on-site sales.

We walked up the red-carpeted steps and passed through the heavy vermilion gates. The moment we stepped onto the viewing platform of the gate tower, the view opened wide. A magnificent panorama of Beijing unfolded completely before our eyes, stirring immense excitement within us. No stopping was allowed on the main passage, so we moved right and stood at the spot closest to where Chairman Mao stood during the founding ceremony. It felt like traveling back in time to October 1, 1949. We seemed to hear the world-shaking proclamation: “Fellow countrymen, the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China has been established today!” Salutes boomed, and the Five-star Red Flag rose slowly. At that moment, reverence and passion surged deep inside us and lingered long.

We quickly set up the tripod and mounted the camera. The segmented telephoto shooting took three hours. Back in Shanghai, we sorted, color-calibrated, stitched and retouched the 2086 high-resolution photos, finally producing this infinitely zoomable 360° panoramic image.

Zoom into the panorama

The north side of the giant flower basket, facing the Gate Tower, bears “Welcoming the 19th CPC National Congress”. The south side reads “Bless our motherland, 1949-2017”. The basket stands 17 meters tall, with the basket body reaching 15.3 meters, and the base flower bed 50 meters in diameter. It is decorated with simulated peonies, magnolias, Chinese roses, as well as persimmons, pomegranates, apples and grapes, symbolizing fruitful achievements across all sectors since the 18th CPC National Congress.

• 12 flower columns represent the twelve months of the year and symbolize prosperity all year round
• 18 flower spheres symbolize unity, harmony and solidarity among all ethnic groups of China

Straight ahead stretches the vast Tiananmen Square. At its center stands the Monument to the People's Heroes, solemn and towering, with the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall quietly situated nearby. On opposite sides of the square are the National Museum of China to the east and the Great Hall of the People to the west. These grand buildings radiate solemnity. In the distance, the smooth dome of the National Centre for the Performing Arts can be seen. Traffic flows gently along Chang'an Avenue, lined by green trees, where ancient and modern landscapes converge.

Overlooking the scene from here, beneath our feet lies the birthplace of New China. The scene of the founding ceremony came to mind, stirring a surge of pride. The landmarks familiar from textbooks are no longer flat illustrations, but a tangible grand scene. A soft breeze blows, and as we gaze at the crowds filling the square, we are filled with awe and emotion.

This short visit to the gate tower was far more than a sightseeing check-in. Standing at this extraordinary site, looking back on a century of change and witnessing the peace and prosperity of today, we truly grasp the unique weight of this land. Even now, when opening this panoramic image, the magnificent scene of the square from that year remains etched in our hearts.