Zhou Enlai Memorial Hall

The Zhou Enlai Memorial Hall stands at 2 Yonghuai Road in Huai'an District, in the city of Huai'an, Jiangsu province, China. It commemorates Zhou Enlai, the first premier of the People's Republic of China, who was born in Huai'an in 1898 and spent his early childhood here. The complex was opened in 1998 for the centenary of his birth and is the largest memorial to him in the country. It is set on a landscaped site with large expanses of water, broad plazas and clean modernist halls, and the approach on foot gives a sense of ceremony before the exhibitions begin. Inside, the main exhibition halls follow his life in chronological order, from his boyhood in Huai'an and student years in Tianjin, Japan and France, through the revolutionary decades, to his long service as premier and his death in 1976. Displays combine photographs, letters, personal belongings, documents and reconstructions of rooms and scenes, and there are sections on his diplomacy and his reputation for frugality and public service. Outside, a large statue and the waterside walkways make good vantage points for photographs, especially on clear mornings when the buildings reflect in the water. A typical visit takes between one and a half and two hours, and a longer stay is reasonable for visitors reading the exhibition text closely. Admission is free, but a passport or Chinese ID is needed to register for entry, so visitors should bring identification. The hall is busiest on weekends, national holidays and during organised group tours, particularly around his birthday on 5 March and the anniversary of his death on 8 January. Weekday mornings shortly after opening are the quietest and most comfortable. Most explanatory panels are in Chinese, so visitors without Chinese may want a translation app or a local guide. The hall sits a short ride from the Zhou Enlai Former Residence and the Huai'an Government House, so many visitors combine all three in one day.