Zhongnanhai is an imperial garden in central Beijing, adjacent to the Forbidden City; it serves as the central headquarters for the Communist Party of China and the State Council (Central government) of the People’s Republic of China. The term Zhongnanhai is closely linked with the central government and senior Communist Party officials. It is often used as a metonym for the Chinese leadership at large. The state leaders, including Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang, and other top CPC and PRC leadership figures carry out many of their day-to-day administrative activities inside the compound, such as meetings with foreign dignitaries. China Central Television frequently shows footage of meetings inside the compound, but limits its coverage largely to views of the interior of buildings.
The name of the Zhongnanhai complex, located west of the Forbidden City, means “central and southern seas/lakes”, referring to two lakes (the “Central Sea” and “Southern Sea”) located within the compound; it is sometimes translated as “Sea Palaces”. These two lakes are part of a series of irrigation projects carried out during the construction of the nearby Forbidden City. Also part of the same system is the “Northern Sea”, or “Beihai”, now a public park. And the “Ten Temple Sea”, or “Shichahai“, is connected to Beihai at the north. These three lakes (Southern, Central, and Northern Seas) were originally an imperial leisure garden, with parklands on the shores of each lake, enclosed by a wall. Most of the pavilions, shrines, and temples survive from this period. Whereas the Northern lake had a religious focus, the shores of Central and Southern lakes were dotted with a number of palaces.
Since Zhongnanhai became the central government compound, it has been mostly inaccessible to the general public. The exception to this was during the years of relative freedom following the end of the Cultural Revolution, when the compound was open to members of the public, who could obtain tickets to visit the compound from relevant government authorities. Following the political turmoil that culminated in the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, security was greatly increased. Access has now been closed to the general public, with numerous plain clothed military personnel patrolling the area on foot. Cars are not strictly prohibited from stopping on stretches of adjacent roadway. Cabs, for example, are allowed to stop unless during important conferences or events.
The most important entrance to the compound is the southern one at Xinhuamen (Xinhua Gate, or “Gate of New China”), surrounded by two slogans: “long live the great Communist Party of China” and “long live the invincible Mao Zedong Thought.” The view behind the entrance is shielded by a traditional screen wall with the slogan “Serve the People“, written in the handwriting of Mao Zedong. The Xinhuamen entrance lies on the north side of West Chang’an Avenue.
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