Erqi Memorial Tower

The Erqi Memorial Tower, or Erqi Tower (Chinese: 二七纪念塔; pinyin: Èrqī Jìniàntă) 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 tower in the city, but not anymore.

Erqi Memorial Tower
二七纪念塔
Alternative names	Erqi Tower
General information
Architectural style	Chinese architectural style
Town or city	Zhengzhou
Country	China
Coordinates	34.753°N 113.66°E
Completed	September 29, 1971
Height	63 meters
Technical details
Floor count	14

History

The current Erqi Memorial Tower was completed on September 29, 1971.[2] It serves as a memorial to the Erqi Strike, 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.[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.[1] The tower displays various historical relics, pictures, and written materials about the strike.[1]

Notes

1. Zhong, Yuhao (2020-05-17). 为突显郑州二七塔庄严肃穆，周边一20层大厦6层以上将拆除. The Paper (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2020-12-26. Retrieved 2020-12-26.
2. 河南“二七”纪念塔(图). China Internet Information Center (in Chinese). 2002-04-18. Archived from the original on 2006-06-22. Retrieved 2020-12-26.