Zhou Enlai Memorial Hall

Zhou Enlai Memorial Hall

The Zhou Enlai Memorial Hall is a classic red tourism destination and a patriotic education base.

The Zhou Enlai Memorial Hall is located at Taohuayin outside the North Gate of Huai'an City, Jiangsu Province. It was completed on January 16, 1992. Deng Xiaoping inscribed the name of the hall, and comrades such as Jiang Zemin, Li Peng, Li Xiannian, and Yang Shangkun wrote inscriptions for the memorial. The Zhou Enlai Memorial Hall is a large-scale memorial established to commemorate Zhou Enlai, the founding Premier of the People's Republic of China, and stands as a towering monument showcasing the greatness of this legendary statesman.

The Huai'an Zhou Enlai Memorial Hall is situated on a lake-centered peninsula surrounded by water on three sides in Taohuayin, northeast of Huai'an District. The entire architectural structure is solemn and dignified, with a simple yet elegant design that blends traditional Chinese national style with modern architectural features. Every part of the building carries deep symbolism, reflecting the ingenuity of its designers and expressing the heartfelt tribute of millions in memory of Premier Zhou. Comrade Deng Xiaoping inscribed the name "Zhou Enlai Memorial Hall." To the north of the memorial hall also stands the Zhou Enlai Relics Exhibition Hall, built specifically to commemorate the great achievements of Comrade Zhou Enlai and to provide a place of reverence for his admirers. It is hoped that this monument of the era, Zhou Enlai, will inspire Chinese youth to strive for progress and work diligently for the rise of China through education. The Zhou Enlai Memorial Hall is a large-scale memorial established to commemorate Zhou Enlai, the founding Premier of the People's Republic of China, and stands as a towering monument showcasing the greatness of this legendary statesman.

The Zhou Enlai Memorial Hall is surrounded by water, with clear waves rippling around it. The total construction area is 3,265 square meters and consists of a main hall and an auxiliary hall. The base of the main hall is square-shaped with trapezoidal steps, while the hall itself is an octagonal column structure, conveying solemnity with dynamic form—symbolizing Zhou Enlai’s pivotal role in critical moments of survival for our Party and military. The base is supported by four massive granite pillars holding up a conical roof, symbolizing his early proposal of the Four Modernizations for building a socialist China. The auxiliary hall, which complements the main hall, spreads out in a “人” (human) shape, signifying Zhou Enlai’s noble and great character, and subtly expressing that he will live forever in the hearts of the people.

The Huai'an Zhou Enlai Memorial Hall is connected to Huai'an Foreign Languages Middle School. The entire memorial area consists of two grand complexes of commemorative architecture, one memorial island, three artificial lakes, and green spaces surrounding the lakes. The total area of the memorial zone is 350,000 square meters, of which 70% is water surface, and the building area is 15,000 square meters. Along the 800-meter central axis from north to south of the memorial hall, there are, in sequence, the viewing platform, the main memorial hall, the annex, the bronze statue of Zhou Enlai, and the replica of the West Flower Hall in Zhongnanhai, Beijing. In addition, there are scenic spots such as Lanshan Poetry Stele, Crabapple Forest, Crabapple Road, Cherry Blossom Road, Five-Dragon Pavilion, Huaien Pavilion, and West Hall Fish Viewing Area. The layout of the Zhou Enlai Memorial Hall area is trapezoidal, and when viewed from above, the memorial island and the three artificial lakes together form the Chinese character “忠” (loyalty). The design was overseen by Qi Kang, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and professor at Southeast University. The design has won a national design award, and the project quality has received China’s highest architectural honor—the Special Luban Prize.

The main hall has three floors. The first-floor exhibition is divided into eight sections, displaying Zhou Enlai’s illustrious life through rich and detailed historical documents, precious cultural relics, photos, and five television screens. The second-floor memorial hall houses a seated statue of Zhou Enlai. This white marble sculpture, 3.2 meters tall with a 1.5-meter base, depicts the image of Premier Zhou smiling and gazing forward as he holds a scroll.

Facing the front of the memorial hall across the lake to the south is the viewing platform, consisting of a corridor hall and two 16-meter-high sword-shaped steles, symbolizing Zhou Enlai’s great achievements shining alongside the sun and moon. From here, visitors can take a sightseeing boat directly to Zhou Enlai’s former residence.

Transportation

Accessible via bus routes 8, 61, 62, and 63

Admission

Free

Location

Taohuayin, north of Huai'an City, Jiangsu Province

Zhou Enlai was a Marxist, proletarian revolutionary, politician, military strategist, and diplomat. He was one of the principal leaders of the Communist Party of China and the People's Republic of China, a founding member of the People's Liberation Army, and Premier of the People's Republic of China (1949–1976). Originally from Shaoxing, Zhejiang, he was born in Huai'an, Jiangsu. After graduating from Nankai School in Tianjin in 1917, he went to Japan to study. He returned to China in 1919, entered Nankai University in September, became a student leader during the May Fourth Movement in Tianjin, and co-founded the progressive group Enlightenment Society with other activists... More detailed information on Zhou Enlai++

Further Reading:

· National Second-Class Museum of China