hello buddies, now i'm actually viewing this page via an anonymous proxy.... ... it's a crime to censor our network!

I guess big picture is blocked in China now, I'm in Beijing, China and I could not see the pix. Now I'm seeing it via proxy and really shocked by those.

Thanks for sharing.

Once I am one of them.......
But acutally I thought I were cheated by the so called "student leaders", in fact these "leaders" are the same.......

great pictures !!!!

i'm a chinese,and i'm proud of the movement,the students there are heroes of the country.the have belifs.but one thing i have to say,the 3 men in the ££19 are not heros,there's something you have to know that they are passed to the police by almost all the students who are angry at their behaviour.

...and so the big picture gets block in china

Every time I see the guy front of the tnak I remember that day when a young me and an old gran father tried to understand watching the tv news.

tks

"Theirs is the banner in my hand. And I wish I had the power to tell them that the despair of their hearts was not to be final, and their night was not without hope. For the battle they lost can never be lost. For that which they died to save can never perish. Through all the darkness, through all the shame of which men are capable, the spirit of man will remain alive on this earth. It may sleep, but it will awaken. It may wear chains, but it will break through. And man will go on. Man, not men."

Ayn Rand: Anthem

Interesting, it is still NOT GFWed now! As some people here have said, we people, are always too simple and naive, because we are so easy to be used and fooled by media, governments or some special groups.

The pics can tell part of the truth, but not the whole.

And 20 years later, who will still remember and memory this period of history? Only a small group. Most people, including young students, concern the Financial Crisis as the most important event in the world.

pls dont block boston.com... i love it here..
"YouTube, Blogspot, Tumblr, Livejournal, Flickr, Twitter and Bing"
damn, i miss my twitter...and youtube.

right.. dont forget we have our own google, which is like a mini-version of the real thing... or like a LAN - version...

and l love china, not the goverment though...

A vivid reminder to all in the USA about what a powerful and oppressive federal government will do. 230 years ago our country was founded on the principle of limited power of the central government. Today we have a massive and powerful central government.

So far I have viewed a lot of June 4th TAM pictures, but why is it that only the LATimes version show the picture of protesters kicking the corpse of the soldier which they killed earlier? That certainly wouldn't justify the killing of hundreds of people by the soldiers but would at least partly explain the situation a lot better.

Things are never as one sided as they seem and it's the omission which have other people screaming bias.

Yet another Big Picture (called Giga Pica) about D-Day - 65 years ago in Europe. Thanks to all hero's from the US of A who participate.

http://gigapica.geenstijl.nl/2009/06/operation_overlord.html

In Europe we are still thankful for the peace and freedom you brought back to Europe.

lassez le passé passer, SVP...
We should look forward

In the end, the image of the Chinese hero blocking those tanks will prevail. As powerful now as it was 20 years ago. His image will one day replace Mao in that square.

这个故事很有意思

As you can see in pictures 2 and 5, PLA soldiers were just sitting there being slaughtered by the students. This must be the evidence that only PLA soldiers were killed in the square.

i am chinese, and i can see this pictures.
thank you, never thought there will be a large memorizing in HongKong.

Let me translate comment no. 83:
"This is a meaningful story".

May this event never be forgotten.

American people love to comment and mess in other countries internal affairs.
Vietnam Iraq Africa etc. What about the European colonial powers of old???
Altho Tian An men is a sad incident, it is part of China's history.
What is important now is where China is heading, in working towards improving the lives of all Chinese. Many who criticise China have never even been to visit China or know people in Mainland. China is not the only country with sad history. So why pick on China unfairly?
( its clear that this incident was funded by outsiders planning to destroy China )
Peace to all men of good will wherever you may be!!! USA, dont be hippocrite.

FREEEEE-DOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have lived in China for several years now, and you know what?! MOST of the Chinese people don't know anything about this because they don't have freedom of the press. It would shock you to realize how the government has kept and keeps controvisial news from its people. A recent sports illustrated aritcle that came out during the olympics made a brief mention of the protests at Tiananmen square and the PRC officials went through and striked out any mention of the incedent. This is a valuable article in helping spread the truth to people who otherwise wouldn't be informed. http://www.upiasia.com/Blogosphere/Yunfei/20090402/waving_the_red_banner_of_joseph_goebbels/

Oh,my god.every chinese should see these fotos,and remember the history.
The action of the government before June 4th showed their shame and fear.

Our (American) University professors sing the praises of Marx.
Chinese professor incite longing for Democracy and liberty.

What's wrong with this picture?

Everyone pick up a copy of 'Anthem' by Aynn Rand and READ IT!!

Communist china is a slavery country consists of ruling class and brain-washed people. Ruling communists class are very rich and corrupt, leaving brain-washed people stupid and poor.

*comment blocked by the People's Republic of China

Regarding the Goddess of Democracy statue, anyone who is interested should read the Wikipedia article. It's a great example of the power of art and its ability to move people and effect change:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goddess_of_Democracy

Also, yes, the poster above is correct that it was not a replica of the Statue of Liberty. They deliberately *didn't* make it look like her because they didn't want it to be interpreted as overtly American, because the Chinese democratic protests were not about copying America. They were about *democracy*, a concept which transcends nations and borders.

Allan: please could you change the captions on the statue photo to reflect this?

every country has its moments like this.
you should be thinking about where china is heading now. all the world is using chinese made products. and the people working in factories are more than happy with that. because they come from rural areas where they grow rice and eat rice. and that's pretty much it. they can afford to buy coke and eat meat every day and have a tv and whatever. and their sense of democracy has considerately changed the last 2 decades. realize that.

WOW! I'm impressed, i'm trilled by this pictures. Big Pictures from the past. That's amazing. BIG PICTURES, I LOVE YOU for your fantastic work. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU A MILLION TIMES!

You still the best blog EVER.

When I was in the university, we talked about 4.6 crackdown. At that time, most of us were very angry and disappointed. But we cannot find anyway to support this kind brave behaviour of the young students who wanted to rescue China from corruption and invasion of human right.

Now several years has passed, I still cannot understand why government used this kind of way to deal with students' protest. But I begin to understand it from different perspectives. I know that lots of forces- no matter dark or justice are behind the single historical event.

I don't know whether you read some things about the background of the society and economy in China in 1989. But I am sure you know the reasons and results of drastic politic changes in east Europe. China has similar situation, but the difference is: it has already changed its way of working about 10 years. The economy developed very fast. Actually, everything changed in a short time. But I want to say most of them are in the correct direction. But the corruption is not in the list. It became obvious in many aspects. That's the reason of the protest.

The problem is when the students try to express their political requirement, they are used by the force in the party who wants to get the power and western forces who want to expand capitalism to China to get their maximum benifits. You can find the similar examples in Russia, Iran and other countries. Especially in the recent Afghanistan and Iraq War, USA wants to get the control of the oil production and expand its power to the land near Russia and China, it concots ridiculous reasons to attack these countries. The results are they get what they want, political and economical.

BUT, what happened to the people in these countries????? they are in disorder now, they get nothing except poor and war. I don't believe the great USA will help them to build a beautiful and rich country. What they did is retreat the army and put more companies into them. Nobody care the thousands of innocent people who died in the war. Will USA commenorat the Iraq people or Afghanistan people?

I want to say if the students protest successed, the government falled down, i cannot imagine who will control this country and what we will be. We don't need any operation to put a heart controlled by other people.

I don't want to say I agree the way the government used. It's totally stupid. What I want to say is we should change gradually.Maybe in the future there is a revolution, but not now.
I will try my best to fight for the human right and media freedom in China. By the way, Taiwan is also a part of China:)

The communist party nomenclature sh*t in their pants every time they fear that the flame of freedom is flickering up again. They should be wearing diapers with Mao's image on it.

Remembering IRAQ, RIGHT NOW

Accessible from Beijing at the moment

Freedom vs. economic development. Tough choice.

moving.....hopeless.where is the freedom?

I am in China, and this site is still accessible, thank you for putting all these great photos together.

"Free at last, free at last, thanks God almighty, we will free at last!"

Anyone who has been to Fudan Univ. will know what picture 23 really means.
I have to say the photographer is good at picking what he wants, not the facts.

i can see.

this sit is now still available in china.
thank you for keep these memories for us;thank you,American friends.
as a chinese borned in later 1980s,i hope one day the
whole nation can commemorate them publically
but now£¬most of my frends don't know what happened in 1989.
the goverment are trying to let the whole nation forget this,but how can it happen?
it is a Massacre! the goverment crimed 20 years ago£¬they sent
army to kill the students and citizens in beijing,
it shocked the whole world at that time,and people all over
the world cried at that moment.
in the contry,thousands of people experienced in this movement,they can tell their children what actually happened,like my

uncle told me.nowaday,despit they control the inter net,make many foreign webs cannot be visted,we still can find many means

to deal with them. so i known what happened,and i feel proud of these students,they really known what is the meaning of

life,it is freedom!
and they just cannot change the history,anyone keep on telling lies will be one day abandoned by the people,i'm sure the CCP

will step down ,and then,a new china will born,and their dream for freedom and democracy 20years ago will finally come true

to all chinese,i'm quite sure.

Having been to China and followed their domestic news over the last couple of years it is so sad to see how little has changed since 1989. The government is as censorial as ever and rule with an iron fist. Granted there has been tremendous capitalist growth in the economic sector but the totalitarian authority of the government has never wavered. I'm glad to see that some of us at least chose not forget those brave souls who sacrificed so much in June 1989.

Respect, Liberty and Respect to Humanity!

GIVE PEACE A CHANCE!

What have we learn?
When will we learn?

"Goddess of Democracy ", lol
why didn't couple with "God of Freedom" to make the demonstrate romantic?

The whole thing later become politics, it was a game, the only point meaningful is: are you a player or a chesspiece.

If you were Deng Xiaoping, what could you have done differently (presuming you are smarter than him)?

I love how all the people defending the Chinese government use sub-par english. Your either a government worker or a some poor brainwashed shmuck. If its the earlier if your going to censor or defend anything at least put a little more effort into it. As long as there is SOME outlet, this will never be forgotten. Free people will make sure of that.

Long live the free press

the little girl knew nothing about these things.
it's a common skill to catch eyes.

SEEMS TO ME THAT CONTROL IS WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT.
I REMEMBER VERY WELL THAT DAY 20 YEARS AGO,AND IF
THE GOVERNMENT OF CHINA THINK THEY ARE FOOLING
THE PEOPLE OF CHINA, ,THEY REALY ARE NOT IN TOUCH
WITH THE REAL WORLD.

Want democracy? Go to India!

Are people people?
or
Are people their governments?

I am curious if a person associates all/some/one/none Chinese or even American to the actions by their country and government.

Personally, I like to think people are individuals.
I am a Portuguese-Chinese-American-Canadian in case one needs to identify..

Re#55 Marc, you are exactly right. I am a westerner living in China. What you wrote was spot on. So many people have this image of China as a monster who does nothing but keeps it's people down. And while this is true from a political standpoint when it comes to being able to speak out against the government and it's ideology. When it comes to economics and making money there is a great amount of freedom that the government gives it's people. It's amazing how much people will forget and accept and put up with and even ignore if they are allowed to make money. for most people being allowed to get rich and take care of their families interests trumps going up against the goverment any day. And as for the younger generation and remembering the events of that day....it does not exist for mmost of them and if you ask many of them about it. they may not even know what your talking about.

I love how some people like to think of us China-defenders on the TAM issue as Chinese government worker or brain-washed victims.

Aren'tyou so brain-washed yourself?

Everytime when I saw pictures of Tiananmen taken 20 years ago, I feel so sad. 20 years past, nothing changed. No democracy nor freedom in this country, my country. However, if anything can console myself, that is people don't forget. Even children who grown up after that year, learned it from foreign media, internet or adults. Everybody in China know the truth, although the goverment keeps saying obvious lie. Things will change, who knows what will happen after another 20 years.

Piêkne zdjêcia.

I think somebody said above is right: the photographer is smart to get what he want but the fact. EveryBody should see one issue objectively. some one in the government took excess action , in the meanwhile , some guys with particular purpose larded in the students moved the students to do some excess operation.
monaural students vs some monaural government officer integrated the tragic.

we should know that democracy reform need a process. we should be aware of that China must develop itself so that people will live a happy life . when you're hungry , you should not ask for freedom only. make ourselves not hungry any longer at first.

Dear Readers,

LIVE IN THE NOW. Do not live in the past. Peace will certainly prevail.

Actually many people around me still remember this tragedy. We do know what happened but we do not dare to speak out.

thank God the insurgents had failed....! otherwise the Bush CIA team (Senior) and their buddies would be owning the new China, just like the British with HK. This particular China strategy is not unlike other corporate "expeditions" and EHM strategies in South America, masked under the false pretense of democracy and fighting the Left.

The Tienanmen massacre was a great tragedy - I wish someone in the world remembered that at the same time the Polish people voted NO against communist government and made the first step towards freedom in Mid-East Europe.
I cry for the victims of Tienanmen, thie history brought great joy and great terror on the same day - June 4th, 1989.

I have no doubt, #16 is one of the strongest and full of meaning images that I ever saw.

Some simple facts about the Tank Man.

1. The photo was taken on the morning of 5.Jun, 24 hours after the crack down. All violence had stopped.
2. The Tanks were WITHDRAWing from the square, since the crack down was over.
3. The Tank man not just stopped that tank, he climbed over the tank.
4. Stuart Franklin took pictures of about a dozen normal Beijing Citizens cycling through the same column of Tanks, a few minutes later than the Tank Man photo. (Magnum Stories)

yes, Chinese like democracy too, just like American.

the darkerness of democracy

OH! NO.....

"col mio cuore in quella piazza, tieni a mente Tiananmen"
Litfiba

"with my heart in that place, keep in mind Tiananmen"
Litfiba an Italian rock band

#114: and how is your Mandarin? :) you should be impressed with the Chinese bothering to read American media and engaging with us in OUR language.

There is a great pendant of the Goddess of Democracy designed by Katya Miller:

http://culturalimages.net/goddess/democracy

#16 is still one of the most impressive and meaningful photos ever made..

I hope China will grow up one day.

Everytime I see the pictures of burnt tanks around Tiananmen Suqare in 1989, I wanna konw where the drivers and soldiers were. Do you think that they were burnt in those tanks? If it is truth being covered by biased press and media, do you think chinese students were totally innocent ? Or do you think that we can thrive other's lives in the name of democracy?
Violence leads to Violence.

Nice collection old and new photos.

Those pictures haven't been hideen by the goverment of China, everybody should see them.

hey grt pics...very touching .......my country is very near china and what these communists could do to their own ppple s horrifying....n we all knw no one around china s safe....let the world knw the true face of the stuck up communists asses.........fkin basterds.......long live da TANK MAN WRE EVA HE S.............

Thank you so much for the photos.
As a Chinese student, I want to say something.
1. I really admire their courage, passion and vision and zealous attempts to build a better and freer China. these photos brought me to tears. we should always remember their sacrifice and their dream! and make every effort to realize it someday! voilence against good-intentioned, reform-driven citizens is evil! and it is even more unacceptable when it is the government that did all this since they were supposed to be the one that protects our safety and defends our rights!

2. we know our country have a lot of problems and a lot of work needs to be done. we understand our problems much better than some foreigners because we are inside it and could feel it and see through it much more deeply. we are not blind or brain-washed as some press portrayed. however, we also acknowldge the progress in the past decades. a majority of us actually have quite a clear understanding of progress and problems. we are working towards the right direction and the reforms are undergoing, big or small, radical or gradual.

3. it's absolutely not true that few young people in China know about this crackdown. most of us know or at least have vague ideas about it. our parents, grandparents talk about it sometimes. they talk about this crackdown, War against Japan, Cultural Revolution and many other events at home. many teachers also introduced this crackdown to us in class. I've heard some teachers actually lent books to students to learn about this crackdown since nothing about it is mentioned in textbooks, but teachers do share this part of the history with us. it's like a "public secret". everybody knows but only some talk about it. it's a SHAME that the textbooks excluded this part and that we are not encouraged to discuss it. and the internet block is just ridiculous! hello! it's 21st century!

4. to be fair, the Chinese communist party has done quite a good job in leading China forward on all aspects in the past 20 years. I never understand why some people always want to tear down the communist ruling. they are not fascist. besides, we want peace and prosperity. we don't want to see voilence again in order to bring down a ruling party. reform is a must, but radical revolution is a no-no. pass. if someone can do a relatively good job, why should it matter whether he is a capitalist, communist, christian, buddha, jew, muslim... these things we created tear us apart. so many stereotypes, prejudices, asumptions and how we are educated block the way of mutual undestanding, respect and cooperation.

5. we support the government when they make right decisons. we despise them and protest when they make wrong ones. we are working together with them to make a better China. and i have faith in us Chinese people. so, no matter you love China, hate China, or couldn't care less about it, please open your eyes and minds to learn about the REAL China and Chinese people before jumping to conclusions. western media is indeed much freer than us but not nessacerily more objective or stick to the truth. actually, all of us, Chinese and westerners, are misled by our own media and education to some degree. the difference probably is, most Chinese are fairly aware of it, unlike some people I've met upholding the "free press" and mistake it for "place for truth". anyway, my point is, everyone should be wary of the danger to be brain-washed, not only Chinese. always keep an open mind, experience a place in person and search for the truth. be wary of the 4 idols as Bacon stated!
Peace!

@ 118
Hey there, its true most of the comments youll see on this blog are people assuming the identity of wherever their from. I can give you a fill in the blank sheet for the majority of those commentors lol. No matter what the photos are about it goes like this...

"This is ____(western government/politician) 's fault! Before _____ came to _____ they were a peaceful society! I am ______(the mouthpiece of some country that is not america)! Read ____ (insert some obscure conspiracy theorists book) and youll understand!!"

#4: delegaton? :)

thanh you

I lived in Beijing for a while and have many native Chinese friends. It is crazy that so many people have no idea that the Tiananmen Massacre actually happened. Younger generations have no idea because it is conveniently left out of curricula. One girl (whose father was a government official) actually believed (vehemently by the way) that the U.S. government did a "camera trick" and all of it was fake. I fear that once the older generation has gone, no one in China will know it ever happened. I also find it hypocritical that the Chinese government does not acknowledge Tiananmen (a violent act they committed), but they flip out and protest when Japan does not acknowledge the violent acts they committed against the Chinese (I was in Beijing when Japanese textbooks that did not accurately portray the severity of the Rape of Nanking came out and there were mass protests at the Japanese embassy). History is not meant to be covered up and forgotten. It is to be remembered and learned from.

If it happened in America or the other European countries, what would happen? Maybe worse than that! Freedom is important but we still have law.

Thanks for publishing these photos!

Grew up under propaganda of Communist Party, it is hard to actually know truth. This is the first time that I see the photos of that event.

Would have tried to send this link to more people. But if this becomes a popular site to visit, maybe CP would ban this site. I have enjoyed subscribing to the photos here, so...

Don't think I will be able to live to the day to see a healthy and free China.

Let's pray God for both of them!

@146
i am sorry for so many chinese like you have poor knowlege about law.
if such a massacre happen in a normal contry,it is incredible for such a goverment stay on stage.
it is a crime on the name of the state,i am sure some one will be one day stand in court to accept punishment for what they have done.

What concerns me the most is the fact that multi international companies, like Yahoo!, in many cases comply with the Chinese government. Following every request.

no need to argue here. people are just trying to explain the entire movement as the way they want...

r.i.p. all students, citizens and soldiers got killed during the movement...

°¦¡­¡­ÖйúÕþ¸®¡­¡­ÎÒÃÇÕâÒѾ­¿ÉÒÔÉÏTwitterÁË¡­¡­I just checked in this morning£¬we can access in Twitter without proxy now£¬my best salute for you,all the college student protester in 1989!

If you did not adhere to the reform of the Communist Party of China, it is now North Korea, we are grateful that the reform of the elderly - Deng Xiaoping!

I am a Chinese! I also kown a lot about this event.
I agree with the goverment. most of the students were inculpable,they were exploited. some of them really wanted to reform and wanted to make China better.but others were trying to subverse China.
go go China.
I hope that you foreigners can have a fair-and-square judgment.

Born in the 1990s in China, few of us know what happened in 1989. When on earth can the government have the courage to face the truth and their own fault? Laws have few limitation to this party. It must be to tough to those young students as we are now, having their own passion and good willing to make the world better, but they shoot them. it must have changed a lot.

I have been to China and I LOVE the people.

But the government SUCKS. Long live free press!

Westerners do not recognize China's development £¬to see your master of the West, the United States, have done all these years?
Please cherish the development of China is now, please do not provoke

The students protesters actually took action. Actually gave up their life for what they believe in. Yet we have a bunch of white kids living in suburban America in front of a computer and believe they are part of a struggle. To tell you the truth, the Communist Party have done MUCH more for China then those westerners who sit at their computer and type crap like DOWN WITH COMMUNISM!!! DEMOCRACY!!! The Communists brought up the standards of living dramatically and allowed greater freedom in most fields other than the media. What have a bunch of white guys who are half way around the world feeling good about themselves believing that they have made a difference accomplished?

#32, the cloud looks like a bird soaring above and #16 never fails to affect me.

Let everyday be Tiananmen's birthday.

how unsecured the Chinese Communist Gov are... i mean if you think the readers here are as ignorance as you... you're highly mistaken. One of the commenter above said the guy on the bicycle 'seem' relaxed?

Do you fail to see the two guys in the foreground is running away from the scene?? Not to mention one of the guy is ducking... an act usually associated in a scene where you ducked when you HEAR GUN FIRE!

I'm sorry that the people in Beijing and other cities in China cannot view the Big Picture. I visited China in October of 2008 for 3 weeks and loved the country and the people. I hope that the sad day 20 years ago never happens again.

The Pro-democracy Movement is not documented in Chinese textbooks in the PRC, and college students today have no idea what happened on that fateful day. A photograph of the 19-year-old man standing solo against a line of military tanks --- now universally known as "The Tank Man" --- was shown to a group of Beida (Beijing University) students at random. None knew what it meant; one female student even thought it was "creative" [artwork]! But let us in the free world never forget the unsung heroes of China, lest we too be lured into thinking the communist-turned-capitalist regime has "advanced." Eonomic stride without human rights is nothing.

I have been to China three times. The economic progress is undeniable but freedom is badly missing. I admire the Chinese culture, art, intelligence and their will to make sacrifices for freedom. I have had many excellent Chinese students when I was an active professor and am very sorry about their lack of freedom.

I wish China could change as much as Germany, Austria and Japan have changed after World War II. I am neither pessimistic nor optimistic in this regard.

@8, Tian
You have been so brainwashed by communist China's official media. Watch some of the Tiananmen Square Massacre videos from YouTube and judge it for yourself. Also, Frontline has a complete video coverage on the massacre. The PLA soldiers killed not only unarmed students, but also kids as young as 9-year old and elderly folks in their 60's. They also fired at parents who wanted to see their college children whom they thought might still be on the Square on June 5. The PLA soliders had no guts to fire when facing them, but as soon as the parents turned around to leave, they fired at them and killed about 30 parents. Then a Chinese Red Cross van pulled up moments later to rescue the fallen parents. The PLA soldiers fired at the van and killed medical personnels.

Please do yourself a favor. Read something other than communist China's news. I pity you.

#15 #16 - "Gutsiest move I ever saw." I remember seeing this on CNN as it happened, I will never forget. Whoever this man is, he is forever my hero. Amazing courage...

china: sick man of asia. Worlds awaits a Free china with Free Elections. Free vote.
china: century of humiliation. Humiliation ends only with Elections of Free government by the Free people of a Free china.
google: charter 08.
What will make china a civilized, modern is to have open free. elections.
China cannot survive into 21st. century as a dictatorship.
Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao have No part in 1949 civil war. NO legitimate right to be ruler or president. Party cannot be state. State cannot be party.
NO right No legitimate NO Zatural right to rule without free Elections.
1911-1949: republic of china
1949-2009: worlds a Free china, Free citizens with Free-Vote.Elections.

I added your blog to bookmarks. And i'll read your articles more often!

im curious what does the government say happened or do they just never mention it. how do they explain the deaths of peoples ancestors and relatives with out saying "we shot them down" or do they just not answer.
are they really that oblious? to think that you have no idea. as soon as they find out you know. they'll bann the internet from the whole country (jks)