Tiananmen Square is the large plaza near the center of Beijing, named after the Tiananmen (literally, the Gate of Heavenly Peace) which sits to its north, separating it from the Forbidden City. The square covers 40.5 hectares, which makes it the largest open-urban square in the world. Used as a massive gathering place since its inception, its flatness is broken only by the 38-meter (125 ft) high Monument to the People’s Heroes completed in 1958, and the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong completed in 1977. The square lies between two ancient, massive gates: the Tiananmen to the north and the Zhengyangmen, better known as Qianmen to the south. Along the west side of the Square is the Great Hall of the People. Along the east side is the National Museum of China.