The affirmation of absolute power is embodied in this 20ha esplanade, a megalomaniac creation of Mao, whose portrait still features as a backdrop. Adorned with red flags, this is the heart of Beijing, where the past (the Forbidden City) and the present (Stalin-inspired official monuments) rival each other with their gigantic proportions. In 1989, Tiananmen Square became the bloody symbol of democratic aspiration. Today, soldiers still parade every morning and evening to the rhythm of 108 steps per minute in front of Chinese visitors looking on in amazement.