Tiananmen MOC Build Guide: 5,630 Bricks in 3 Steps
The short version: this Tiananmen MOC uses 5,630 pieces and measures 92 cm long, 28 cm wide and 38 cm tall at 1:160 scale. Expect roughly 28 hours of building time, and the instructions are priced at 128 yuan on brickplan.cn. The structure itself is well worked out. The roof is the hard part, and if you follow the three stages below in order, even a first-time builder can finish it.
Step 1: Build the Foundation Platform
Start with the base platform, a 46x56 stud footprint. This stage takes about 900 pieces and 4 hours. The priority is building the white marble balustrade around the perimeter as detachable modules, so you can run LED strips later. Inside the platform, run 2x6 beams horizontally through the structure to stop the large baseplates from bowing under pressure.
Tip: pre-seat four 1x1 round studs at the corners of the base plate. When you align the five-arch gate tower on top later, this cuts adjustment time by about 30%.
Step 2: Build the Five-Arch Gate Tower
The gate tower is the core of the building: about 2,600 pieces and 10 hours. There is one large arch gate in the centre and two smaller arch gates on each side, five openings in total. Build the curved face at the top of each arch with 1x4 wedge bricks, then close the sides with slope bricks.
This is where rework happens most often. The arch curvature has to line up with the height of the tower's side walls, so after each completed layer, shine a flashlight through the inside of the arches and check that no piece is sticking out. Add four 1x8 columns inside the tower as hidden supports so the roof above has enough load-bearing strength.
Step 3: Build the Double-Eaved Roof
The roof is the hardest section: about 2,100 pieces and 14 hours. Tiananmen has a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof, and the upper tier is one step narrower than the lower one. On the lower eave, use 2x4 slope bricks to form the upturned fly eaves, and leave a 1x1 notch every 8 bricks as a dougong bracket detail.
The critical point is the eave corners. Build the four corners first, then infill the middle. Lock the upturn angle with 45-degree slope pieces so it stays consistent, and only join the four corners into one continuous eave after all of them are complete. When the roof is done, add one ridge-end beast at each end of the ridge line and the model is finished.
With the base lighting added, the whole build comes to about 30 hours. It looks impressive on a 1.2 m display cabinet, and the red-wall, gold-tile colour scheme scores roughly 9 out of 10 for accuracy.
FAQ
Q: Can I buy the Tiananmen MOC parts as a complete set?
A: Yes. brickplan.cn provides a full parts list, and partner sellers can supply it pre-sorted into bags for roughly 2,200-2,800 yuan. Sourcing the loose parts yourself against the list saves about 400 yuan, but you will spend around 6 hours sorting them.
Q: The upturned roof corners are too hard. Is there an easier way?
A: Fix the four corners with 45-degree slope pieces first and infill the middle afterwards; this is about 40% faster than building brick by brick. The 2x4 slope bricks for the eave corners are pre-highlighted in the brickplan.cn instructions, which cuts down the time spent hunting for parts.
Q: How long does the build take, and can I finish it in one day?
A: An experienced builder needs about 28 hours, and rushing it in a single day is not recommended. Six or seven sessions of 4-5 hours each work well, and the roof stage is best scheduled for when you have the most energy.
Q: Where should I put something this size? Is it too big?
A: At 92 cm long and 38 cm tall, it suits a display cabinet or TV unit at least 1.2 m wide. If you want something smaller, the instructions include a 1:250 variant at about 3,200 pieces and 26 cm tall.
Q: Is a Chinese gate tower harder to build than a standard modular street scene?
A: Yes, mainly because of the fly eaves and the double-eave structure, which carry roughly 1.5 times the detail of a typical street scene. But if you follow the three stages in order, base first, then gate tower, then roof, beginners can complete it too.