As Trump revamps White House, Rubio floored by Beijing hall’s fancy ceiling
Footage of the US secretary of state giving a thumbs-up to a ceiling in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People has gone viral
The candid footage catches Rubio in the East Hall of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, his gaze fixed upwards on the ceiling’s ornate decorations. The sprawling Great Hall near Tiananmen Square is used for ceremonial and legislative events.
Spanning over 1,120 square metres (12,055 sq ft) on the building’s second floor, the design of the East Hall’s ceiling draws inspiration from traditional Chinese architecture, notably the dou gong structure of interlocking wooden brackets and zao jing sunken ceiling panels that are often given intricate decorations.
The hall’s ceiling features three large inset octagons with detailed wood carvings, each of which surrounds a large crystal chandelier.