Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao Memorial Hall

Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao Memorial Hall

Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao Memorial Hall is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction, a classic red tourism site, and a patriotic education base.

Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao Memorial Hall. The two great leaders always regarded Tianjin as their second hometown. The exhibition halls of the memorial include the Hall of Reverence, the Hall of Life, the Hall of Sentiment, the Hall of Bamboo Carving Couplets, and the Hall of Calligraphy and Painting Art. The collection is rich, with over ten thousand cultural relics, documents, photographs, and other materials, including more than a hundred precious items. Among them are the Ilyushin Il-14 aircraft once flown by Zhou Enlai across the vast regions of China and to many countries on diplomatic visits, the ZIS-110 limousine, and the urns that held the ashes of the two great leaders—extremely rare artifacts.

Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao spent their youth in Tianjin, where they met, got to know each other, fell in love, and together embarked on the revolutionary path. The two great leaders always regarded Tianjin as their second hometown. Before their passing, they left wills instructing that their ashes be scattered over the mountains and rivers of the motherland, and over the Haihe River in Tianjin. To forever commemorate their great achievements and noble character, the Tianjin Municipal Committee and the Tianjin Municipal People’s Government, with the approval of the Central Committee, established the memorial hall in Tianjin. It was grandly opened on February 28, 1998, on the occasion of the centenary of Zhou Enlai’s birth.

The memorial hall is located on the north side of the picturesque Water Park in Tianjin, covering an area of 60,000 square meters with a construction area of 7,150 square meters. It is a garden-style memorial for great figures. The building is 21.3 meters high, with three main floors arranged in a “工” (work) shape. The roof adopts a traditional double-eave design combined with modern craftsmanship, featuring stone roofing and granite exterior embellishments in a simple and elegant color scheme. The outdoor memorial square, the giant granite statue "High Mountains Pay Tribute," the "Unstained Pavilion," the memorial forest, lawns, and flower arrangements complement the main structure, creating an elegant and solemn atmosphere. The hall houses a rich collection of invaluable cultural relics. Over 8,000 cultural relics, documents, photographs, and other materials have been collected, including more than a hundred precious items.

The exhibition halls of the memorial include the Hall of Reverence, the Hall of Life, the Hall of Sentiment, the Hall of Bamboo Carving Couplets, and the Hall of Calligraphy and Painting Art. The Hall of Reverence features a white marble statue of Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao titled "Love Fills the Land," with a large tapestry "Vast Sea and Expansive Clouds" as the background. The flanking relief walls depict historic scenes such as the May Fourth Movement, the Nanchang Uprising, the Long March of the Red Army, the Xi’an Incident, the Founding Ceremony of the People’s Republic of China, and the construction of the nation.

The Hall of Life includes nine sections.

(1) Demeanor: Displays commemorative photos of Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao from various historical periods, along with representative handwritten letters and poetry.

(2) Pursuit of Truth: Chronicles their early revolutionary journey of aspiring to save the nation, leading the struggle, and engaging in party-building activities.

(3) Saving China: Recreates revolutionary practices such as leading the Nanchang Uprising, persisting in struggles in the white areas, commanding the Long March, promoting the nationwide resistance against Japan, directing the解放战争 (Liberation War), and establishing the new China.

(4) Premiering the Nation: Introduces Zhou Enlai’s tenure as the Premier of the government, his visionary planning for national development, promotion of ethnic unity, commitment to independence and self-reliance, and his immortal contributions to world peace.

(5) Leading Women’s Movements: Showcases the outstanding achievements of Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao in leading women’s movements and enhancing exchanges with women worldwide.

(6) Turning the Tide: Reflects Zhou Enlai’s strategic wisdom during the Cultural Revolution, including upholding overall interests, protecting a large number of cadres, overcoming anti-party cliques, and reconstructing the blueprint for the Four Modernizations.

(7) Inheriting the Great Cause: Reviews the remarkable work of Zhou Enlai in his later years, holding key party and government positions, supporting reform and opening-up, and fostering international friendships.

(8) Spirits Forever Enshrined: Traces the heartfelt mourning of the entire nation for the beloved leaders Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao, and displays the urns that held their ashes.

(9) Legacies Become Grand Blueprints: Depicts how people across the nation carry forward the aspirations of Zhou Enlai, Deng Yingchao, and other proletarian revolutionaries, guided by the spirit of the 15th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, to comprehensively advance the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics into the 21st century.

The Hall of Life employs modern technological methods such as restored scenes, miniature landscapes, lightbox charts, ultra-wide screens, rear-projection large screens, and touch displays, along with a wealth of detailed historical materials, precious documents, and cultural relics, to comprehensively showcase the demeanor of two great figures and role models.

The Hall of Sentiment is divided into three parts.

(1) Deep Marital Bond: Recreates the love that blossomed between the two great leaders during the revolution, a love that inspired their devotion to the revolutionary cause.

(2) Love for All: Praises their sincere love for the motherland and the people.

(3) Worldwide Admiration: Showcases the deep affection and reverence of people of all ethnicities across the nation and people around the world for the two great leaders.

The Couplet Hall and the Calligraphy and Painting Hall display bamboo carving artworks and calligraphy and paintings by renowned individuals and famous artists from across the country, all dedicated to Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao.

The Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao Memorial Hall fulfills its educational mission through multiple functions. The Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao Research Center, jointly established by the Central Party Literature Research Office and the memorial, conducts in-depth and extensive academic research on the lives and thoughts of Zhou and Deng. It collects publications and cultural relic documents related to the two great leaders in various formats from both China and abroad. The center also utilizes computer network technology to set up an electronic reading room, providing data and information for researchers domestically and internationally.

The memorial also features a cinema hall, a multifunctional hall, and a VIP hall. The cinema hall mainly screens documentary films about Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao. The multifunctional hall is used for hosting academic lectures, commemorative ceremonies, and thematic exhibitions. Additionally, the memorial square and the garden area are open for group visits and tours by guests.

Suggested Duration

1–2 hours

Transportation

Accessible via Metro Line 3 or buses including 643, 705, 857, 871, 872, and Sightseeing Route 2.

Admission Ticket

Admission is free; pick up your ticket with your ID card for entry

Opening Hours

8:30–16:00 (Closed on Mondays)

Attraction Location

No. 1 Shuishang Park North Road, Nankai District, Tianjin

Address: No. 9 Shuishang Park West Road, Nankai District

Tel: 23592257

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. In 1917, after graduating from Nankai School in Tianjin, he went to Japan to study. He returned to China in 1919, entered Nankai University in September, became a leader among Tianjin students during the May Fourth Movement, and co-founded the progressive group Enlightenment Society with other activists... More detailed information about Zhou Enlai++

Deng Yingchao (1904–1992) was a great proletarian revolutionary, politician, renowned social activist, staunch Marxist, outstanding leader of the Party and the nation, and a pioneer of the women’s movement in China.

Deng Yingchao, originally named Deng Wenshu, was a native of Guangshan, Henan, and was born on February 4, 1904, in Nanning, Guangxi. She lost her father at a young age and lived a modest life with her mother Yang Zhende, who worked as a doctor or private tutor.

From 1913 to 1920, she studied successively at the Beijing Civilian School and the First Women’s Normal School of Zhili Province in Tianjin, later teaching at the affiliated primary school of Peking Normal University and in Tianjin... More detailed information about Deng Yingchao++

Further Reading:

· National First-Class Museum of China