Zhongnanhai

:See also Zhongnanhai cigarettes; this article is about the government complex in Beijing.

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Zhongnanhai ({{zh-cp|c=中南海|p=Zhōngnánhăi}}) is a complex of buildings in Beijing, China which serves as the central headquarters for the Communist Party of China and the government of the People's Republic of China.

Related Topics:
Beijing - China - Communist Party of China - People's Republic of China

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Zhongnanhai, in an example of metonymy, is synonymous with the leadership and government administration of the People's Republic of China (as the White House, for instance, refers to the U.S. President). Chinese Presidents, including Hu Jintao, and other top PRC leadership figures often meet international dignitaries inside the complex. China Central Television frequently shows footage of meetings inside the compound, but limits it largely to views inside buildings.

Related Topics:
Metonymy - People's Republic of China - White House - U.S. President - Hu Jintao - China Central Television

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The name of the Zhongnanhai complex, located west of the Forbidden City, means "central and southern seas" or "lakes", refering to two lakes (the "Central Sea" and "Southern Sea") located within the compound; it is sometimes translated as "Sea Palaces". Zhongnanhai has served as a government center since the early days of the People's Republic of China, founded in 1949, which built many of the structures in what had been an imperial leisure garden containing a series of lakes in a walled, parklike setting. Chinese maps of Beijing show Zhongnanhai as an insignificant green area with a waterbody; in contrast, the municipal government, however, is shown significantly with a red star.

Related Topics:
Forbidden City - People's Republic of China - 1949

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Zhongnanhai is inaccessible to the general public. Its most significant entrance is the southern one at Xinhuamen (Xinhua Gate, or "Gate of New China"), surrounded by two slogans which wish long life to the "great Communist Party of China" and "invincible Mao Zedong Thought." The view behind the entrance is shielded by a wall with the slogan "Serve the People", written in the handwriting of Mao Zedong. The Xinhuamen entrance lies just on the West Chang'an Avenue.

Related Topics:
Xinhua - Communist Party of China - Mao Zedong Thought - Serve the People - Chang'an Avenue

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