The Great Hall of the People was built in 1959 for the tenth anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
It’s a massive structure, some 171,800 square meters or 42.5 acres, on the western side of Tiananmen Square in Beijing.
This is where China hosts most of its foreign dignitaries, as well as key events like the annual meeting of its ceremonial legislature. The hall covers an area bigger than the Forbidden Palace.
Construction of the building was completed in a quick 10 months, and mostly with manpower.
China was not heavily industrialized yet, and the chief engineer for the projects at the time, Yang Sixin, told state media that “the bricks that needed to go up were all transported by hand, carried in baskets with a pole. I’ve also carried the bricks up myself.”
While the structure’s size and towering structure is similar to buildings found in the Soviet style, its decorations inside were designed by referencing Chinese history, such as floral designs from the Tang dynasty.