After leaving 'The Summer Palace' we were driven round to Tianamen Square. This vast space's only purpose now is to be the home of Chairman Mao's mausoleum and to provide somewhere for the Chinese people to pay homage to their hero! So much care is taken over the space we had to pass through a security checkpoint with electronic baggage scanners before we were granted entry.

A few young soldiers march up and down the square in pairs, just seemingly keeping watch and providing a presence whilst 2 huge video screens, the height and length of around 2-3 double decker buses provide patriotic images to the people in the square. The sound being provided by speakers attached to huge 9 bulb lamps that look like huge gas lanterns. Apparently these lamps were designed by a former premier and our guide Shirley said they were very lucky to have them? Whilst the comment sounds weird, we have seen hardly any street lamps in beijing - the majority of the light in the city centre being provided by neon advertising lights on shops and the traffic going by!

As I walked across the square, I wondered how one man could have become so revered by so many - a feat achieved by very few in the world, ever.