The square used to be filled with various government ministries but they were damaged during various rebellions in the nineteenth century. Rather than repair them, the government leveled them, creating the groundwork for the current Tiananmen Square. However, at that time, China's most important gate stood at the center of the square, and was used for special imperial ceremonies. After the Communists took over, they destroyed the gate in the mistaken belief that the square needed to be opened up. It's now a vast expanse of concrete, with no trees, benches or other signs of life. While for most Chinese it's just a vast expanse they have to trudge through to get somewhere else, it of course shot to worldwide fame during the student riots and subsequent clampdown in 1989. There's no sign of any of that here, but it is the only place in China that still feels like a Communist country. The rest of the country has embraced capitalism with a frenzy and the government has long ago given up trying to micromanage this unmanageable country. But this huge empty square, with Mao and military parades, is still very cold war.