Tiananmen Square, the size of 70 football pitches, is seen as the political heart of China
The car crash which killed five people and injured 38 others in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on Monday happened at a politically sensitive time - and in the most politically sensitive place in China.
It happened just a few weeks before the ruling Communist Party is to
hold a major meeting to unveil its blueprint for new reforms.
The meeting, officially termed the third plenum of the 18th
Party Congress, also marks the beginning of the time for President Xi
Jinping - who assumed power late last year - to be in full control of
the world's most populous country.
Whether the crash is an accident or a suspected suicide
attack by Uighur separatists from the Xinjiang region, the mere fact
that it happened in front of Tiananmen Square has inevitably turned it
into a political story. That is because of the uniquely political
nature of the square.
It is indeed one of a kind in the world. The word Tiananmen
means "gate of heavenly peace". However, it is anything but heavenly
peace.
The square was a playground for the Forbidden City before the
last emperor was evicted during the 1911 revolution led by Dr Sun
Yat-sen.
Tiananmen Square has witnessed every major turn of history in the People's Republic
It has been used as a political venue ever since. But only from 1949,
when the Communist Party came to power at the end of a bloody civil
war, did the square start to assume real significance in politics.
On 1 October 1949, Chairman Mao, standing on the rostrum
above the front entrance to the Forbidden City, proudly declared the
founding of the People's Republic to a packed and excited audience in
the square.
To many people at that time who dreamed about a new China, Tiananmen Square was a Mecca, the holiest place on Earth.
The square was considerably enlarged several times during the
first decade of Communist Party rule, to reach its present scale of
440,000 sq m (4,736,000 sq ft) - the size of roughly 70 standard
football pitches. It can accommodate 600,000 people at one time.
There are no benches in the square for people to sit on
It is not supposed to be a place for people to relax and socialise.
There are no public benches for visitors to sit on, nor trees nor any
shelter from the sun or rain. And no toilets either. The Communist Party
redesigned it with only one purpose - to serve politics on a grand
scale.
If there was a video camera that was able to continuously
record what has happened in the square since 1949, then you would have a
complete and comprehensive record of the People's Republic, as every
major turn of history has either been seen or felt there.
Tiananmen Square has become world-famous largely due to a
single event in 1989. On 4 June that year, the Chinese government sent
in soldiers and tanks to crush a student-led pro-democracy protest
there. It ended with many people killed and injured.
Tiananmen Square used to be an open ground, freely accessible from
all sides. On hot and humid summer evenings, Beijing residents would
come and sit on the ground in the square to cool down. A lot of people
also used to fly kites in the square - a popular hobby for many local
residents.
But now the square has been turned into something like a
fortress. Iron railings have been erected around it and access has been
restricted to four underground tunnels at its four corners. Security
checks are in place to stop any potential trouble-makers from entering.
Closed-circuit TV cameras are installed in many places for the
authorities and police to monitor the square 24/7.
Tiananmen Square has assumed a role which was not planned and
certainly not desired by the Communist Party. It has become a venue for
people to air their grievances. Rights activists and opponents of the
regime have used the square to openly challenge the party.
At a time when the Communist Party is facing a growing crisis
over the legitimacy of its rule, it is obsessed with social stability.
It fears that any protests and demonstrations in Tiananmen
Square will be perceived as a sign of party weakness. It is ready to use
all available means to stop protests in the square before they escalate
out of control.
It is still not known whether Monday's car blaze was an
accident or a desperate attempt to make some sort of political
statement. One thing is for sure - Tiananmen Square will only become
even more fortified.
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