The Erqi Memorial Tower, or Erqi Tower (Chinese: 二七纪念塔; pinyin: Èrqī Jìniàntǎ) is located in Erqi District, in the centre of Zhengzhou city, Henan province, China.[1] The tower is 63 meters high and has 14 floors.[1][2] It was historically the tallest building in Zhengzhou until 1976. [3]
History
The current Erqi Memorial Tower was completed on September 29, 1971.[2] It serves as a memorial to the Great Strike of February 7, which occurred on February 7, 1923.[2]
In May 2020, it was announced that the square surrounding the tower would be enlarged to 21,000 square metres (5.2 acres), and that an adjacent building, the Friendship Mansion (Chinese: 友谊大厦; pinyin: Yǒuyì Dàshà), a 20 story building, would be downgraded to 6 stories in height.[1] This plan will be carried out to better highlight the tower.[1]
Description
Erqi Memorial Tower at night
The tower stands in Erqi Square [zh].[1] It is made from reinforced concrete, and is done in a Chinese architectural style.[1] The tower's shape, two pentagonal conjoined towers, is meant to commemorate the striking workers of the Erqi Strike, who went on strike while building the Beijing–Hankou railway.[1][2] At the top of the tower is a five-pointed red star and a 2.7 meter clock below. The clock plays the Chinese revolutionary song The East Is Red every hour.[1] The tower displays various historical relics, pictures, and written materials about the strike.[1]
