The Tiananmen Square Protests of 1989 in Beijing, China

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The Tiananmen Square Protests of 1989 in Beijing, China

On June 3rd, 1989 in Tiananmen Square in Communist China’s capital of Beijing, protestors were silenced by military violence. Tiananmen, ironically, translates into “gate of heavenly peace”. Chinese troops arrested and killed thousands of civilians who were protesting for more governmental transparency and democracy. Protests had been gaining momentum since 1985, and grew to as much as 1.2 million protestors, led by students, in Beijing in May of 1989. The Chinese government, after asking the protestors to stop, imposed martial law and opened fire on the protestors. These protests angered many people from other countries, such as the United States, and are often characterized by the famous image of a lone protestor standing in front of a line of tanks.

China is one of the oldest civilizations in the world. It was traditionally ruled by imperial dynasties that usually lasted hundreds of years. In 1911, the Qing dynasty was overthrown and a republican state was established that lasted until 1949, when the Communists, led by Mao Zedong, established the People’s Republic of China, which is still in place today.

China has no official religion and many of its people are not religious, but Chinese society has been shaped by religion. Many Chinese people follow Confucianism or Daoism. Daoism emphasizes the ideas of compassion, moderation, and humility. Much of Chinese culture is based off the teachings of Confucius, which are centered on benevolence and guide to human action.

Rather than a single language in China, there are more than seven languages, though Mandarin is the official language. Tea drinking is also very popular in China. Chinese art is often influenced by Buddhism...

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...ijing, China. Flickr.com. Web. 10 May 2014.

Nathan, Andrew J. "The Consequences of Tiananmen." Interview by Maria E. Viggiano. Reset DOC: History. Reset Dialogues on Civilizations, 3 June 2009. Web. 07 May 2014.

"Tiananmen Square, 1989: The Declassified History." Tiananmen Square, 1989: The Declassified History. Ed. Jeffery T. Richelson. National Security Archive, 1 June 1999. Web. 08 May 2014.

"Tiananmen Square Fast Facts." CNN. Cable News Network, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 08 May 2014.

"Tiananmen Square Massacre Takes Place." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 08 May 2014.

Witty, Patrick. "Behind the Scenes: Tank Man of Tiananmen." The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 3 June 2009. Web. 8 May 2014.

Zimmermann, Kim Ann. "Chinese Culture: Customs & Traditions of China." LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 17 Apr. 2013. Web. 15 May 2014.

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