Erqi Memorial Tower

The Erqi Memorial Tower stands at 230 Erqi Road in Erqi District, Zhengzhou, near Zhengzhou Railway Station, and commemorates the strike of railway workers on the Beijing-Hankou line that began on 4 February 1923 and was violently suppressed on 7 February, known in Chinese as the February 7 Strike, from which the district takes its name. The event is regarded as a major moment in the early Chinese labour movement, and Zhengzhou's rise as a railway junction gave the strike particular weight. The tower was built in 1971 as a memorial, in the form of a distinctive twin-tower structure, joined together and rising about 63 metres. Its design reflects the paired towers as a symbol of the two dates or two sides of the line, and it is one of the best-known landmarks of the city. Inside is a small memorial museum exhibiting photographs, documents and objects relating to the strike and the history of railway workers in the region, arranged in a broadly chronological display that explains the background, the events of the strike and its aftermath. A viewing platform near the top offers views over the central city and the railway lines that shaped it. The tower and square are at the centre of a dense commercial district, surrounded by shopping streets and markets, and the memorial has been maintained and repainted over the decades to remain a civic centrepiece. The architectural character is mid-20th-century commemorative modernism rather than traditional Chinese design, with a plain, monumental silhouette. Entry to the square is free, and a small fee, around CNY 20-30, applies to climb the tower. Hours run daily during the day, though visitors should verify current times locally. Explanatory material is mostly in Chinese, with limited English, so a translation app or guidebook background helps. The tower is close to the railway station, making it an easy stop when arriving or departing by train.