Harbin Flood Control Victory Memorial Tower

Harbin Flood Control Victory Memorial Tower

Harbin Flood Control Victory Memorial Tower. Situated on the scenic southern bank of the Songhua River, at the riverside area of Daoli District, Harbin, in the terminal square of Central Street. It was constructed in 1958 to honor the people of Harbin for conquering the massive flood of 1957 and stands as a symbol of this heroic city. It was co-designed by former Soviet designer Bashis Zhiyerev and Li Guangyao, a second-generation architect from Harbin Institute of Technology. The Harbin People’s Flood Control Victory Memorial Tower was awarded China’s highest honor in the construction industry.

The memorial tower consists of a three-dimensional main structure and an attached colonnade. The tower is 22.5 meters high, with its base built from block stones, symbolizing the solidity and invincibility of the embankment. In front of the base is a fountain, representing the brave and wise people of Harbin taming the turbulent river waters into a gentle flow, turning dangers into benefits for the people. The lower steps of the tower indicate an elevation of 119.72 meters, marking the highest water level during the 1932 flood that submerged Harbin; the upper steps mark an elevation of 120.30 meters, the highest water level during the 1957 flood when the citizens triumphed over the disaster.

The middle section of the tower features reliefs depicting the flood control army—scenes ranging from taking oaths to reinforce the embankment, transporting soil and compacting it, fighting the flood, to celebrating the victory—collectively portraying the heroic spirit shown during the struggle. The Roman-style colonnade is 7 meters high, harmonious and majestic, encircled by 20 columns connected at the top by a ring band, forming a 35-meter-long semi-circular corridor. The top of the tower features a round sculpture composed of workers, peasants, soldiers, and intellectuals; the lower part of the tower body displays group relief sculptures, symbolizing the indomitable strength of the people of Harbin in the 20th century, the unshakable solidity of the embankment, and the heroic figures who conquered the floods.

This tower has become a symbol of the heroic city of Harbin; everyone who visits Harbin takes a commemorative photo beneath it. In 1957, after the brave and heroic people of Harbin overcame the catastrophic flood, the tower was built in commemoration, hence its name as the Flood Control Memorial Tower. The complex consists of the tower and a Roman-style colonnade, with the tower’s reliefs recreating vivid scenes of conquering the flood, and the tower top featuring a main statue of the flood-fighting heroes. The mighty Songhua River sets off this grand Flood Control Memorial Tower, together with the beautiful Sun Island, forming a world-renowned spectacular landscape.

On November 11, 1997, Russian President Yeltsin visited Harbin. Upon learning that tens of thousands of Russians residing in Harbin had also participated in the flood fight, he specifically came to visit the Harbin Military-Civilian Flood Control Memorial Tower standing firmly by the Songhua River and respectfully bowed three times.

History

1. In August 1932, the year Harbin fell under Japanese occupation, the city experienced its first flood since its opening. The highest water level reached 119.72 meters. At the time, Zhang Jinghui, the former head of the Special Administrative Region of the Northeast who had surrendered to the Japanese and shamelessly acted as a traitor, was steeped in superstition and extreme ignorance. Ignoring the basic principle of “fighting soldiers with soldiers and water with earth,” he followed the advice of a sorcerer and used ritual boards to offer the heads of cattle, sheep, and pigs as sacrifices on the riverside in the port area (now Daoli District), praying for the floodwaters to recede. The breached river surged in from the Fujiadian area (now Daowai District), and the urban warfare and flood disaster plunged the citizens into deep misery.

2. In 1957, continuous heavy rains upstream of the Songhua River triggered a once-in-a-century massive flood, with the highest water level reaching 120.30 meters. At that time, Harbin, an important industrial base of New China, stood united and resolute. Faced with the heroic flood-fighting army of Harbin, the flood demon was subdued.

3. In 1998, Harbin experienced a once-in-150-years massive flood, with the highest water level reaching 120.89 meters. Tens of thousands of People’s Liberation Army soldiers and local troops in Harbin once again composed a majestic and triumphant victory anthem with their heroic spirit of being “an iron Great Wall forged by soldiers, showing their mettle in times of crisis.”

This tower has become a symbol of the heroic city of Harbin, and everyone who comes to Harbin takes a photo here.

With the Songhua River as its backdrop, this magnificent Flood Control Victory Memorial Tower has become an iconic landmark of Harbin, a famous city in Northeast China.

Transportation: Accessible by buses 2, 8, 12, 16, 23, 65, 74, 79, 101, 102, 118, 204, 29.