BEIJING — It was my second attempt in as many days to visit Tiananmen Square, and it wasn't looking good. When I tried the day before, a guard said I required an online appointment — and, no ...

The closest subway exit was closed, as was a viewing point atop Tiananmen Gate, according to a visitor registration website. A Chinese paramilitary policeman watches over Tiananmen Gate in Beijing ...

Security personnel stand on duty near the Tiananmen Gate which is under renovation on the anniversary of China's bloody 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Beijing, Wednesday, June 4, 2025.

In the spring of 1989, a democratic future for China seemed possible. Then came Tiananmen. The U.S.-China relationship still hasn’t recovered.

Police cars block off the roads leading into Tiananmen Square as smoke rises after a vehicle crashed in front of Tiananmen Gate in Beijing, on Oct. 28, 2013, killing several people.

Security personnel stand on duty near the Tiananmen Gate which is under renovation on the anniversary of China's bloody 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Beijing, Wednesday, June 4, 2025 ...

Checkpoints and rows of police vehicles lined a major road leading to Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on Tuesday as China heightened security on the 35th anniversary of a bloody crackdown on pro ...

Police officers watch over Tiananmen Gate in Beijing, Tuesday, June 4, 2024. As Beijing’s toughened political stance effectively extinguished any large-scale commemorations within its borders ...