Chairman Mao Memorial Hall

Chairman Mao Memorial Hall

Chairman Mao Memorial Hall is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction, a cultural heritage site of Beijing, a classic red tourism destination, and a patriotic education base.

Chairman Mao Memorial Hall is situated in Tiananmen Square, south of the Monument to the People's Heroes. It stands on the former site of Zhonghua Gate. Its foundation stone was laid in 1976, and the hall was completed in May 1977. Covering an area of over 57,000 square meters with a total floor space of 28,000 square meters, the main structure is square-shaped and is surrounded by 44 yellow Fujian granite columns. Between the columns are decorative ceramic panels from Guangzhou’s Shiwan, all clad in Qingdao granite. The roof features a two-tiered glass cornice adorned with bas-reliefs of sunflowers. The base has two-tiered platforms, entirely built with jujube-red granite from the Dadu River in Sichuan, encircled by Han white jade railings carved with patterns of aspidistra. The central stairways on the south and north gates each have two Han white jade balustrades, engraved with designs of sunflowers, aspidistra, wintersweet, and pine.

Chairman Mao Memorial Hall measures 280 meters from north to south and 220 meters from east to west, covering an area of 57,200 square meters with a construction area of 28,000 square meters.

(1) Courtyard

In front of the main building’s north gate, there are two groups of clay sculptures on the east and west, depicting the epic of the Chinese revolution. The eastern group represents the New Democratic period, while the western group portrays the socialist construction period. In front of the south gate are two other clay sculpture groups symbolizing the commitment to Chairman Mao’s legacy and the great confidence of people of all ethnicities. The four sculpture groups consist of 62 figures (each 3–5 meters tall), created by over 100 sculptors from 18 provinces and municipalities across China. More than 200 tons of clay were used, and the work took five months. The 30 red flags outside the south gate represent China’s 30 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities.

(2) Memorial Hall

The memorial hall is the main structure, consisting of three parts. The platform base is 4 meters high with sides 105.5 meters long. There are 44 large square columns on the base, each 1.5 meters wide and 17.5 meters tall. The surrounding base is built with jujube-red granite from the Dadu River. The Han white jade railings are carved with aspidistra patterns symbolizing eternal sovereignty. The foundation stone laid during the foundation ceremony on November 24, 1976, is beneath this platform. Embedded in the stone are rocks from Mount Everest and water from the Taiwan Strait. Entering through the north gate leads to the North Hall, which is 34.6 meters wide, 19.3 meters deep, and 8.5 meters high. It houses four 1-meter-square columns, 110 sunflower ceiling lamps, and a floor paved with Hangzhou’s renowned gray marble. Opposite the entrance stands a 3-meter-tall statue of Chairman Mao, behind which hangs a grand 7-meter-high, 24-meter-long landscape painting of mountains and rivers. This hall is used for commemorative events. Passing through the golden nanmu wood doors on the south side of the North Hall leads to the Hall of Remembrance. The crystal coffin is positioned 80 centimeters above the ground, surrounded by colorful mountain flowers and set on a black granite stepped sarcophagus inlaid with the emblems of the Party, the nation, and the military. To the south of the Hall of Remembrance is the South Hall, where the walls of Han white jade are inscribed with Chairman Mao’s poem “Man Jiang Hong.” The east and west sides of the three halls contain rest areas and memorial rooms for veteran revolutionaries. The entire project took just six months; the main construction was completed on May 24, 1977, the whole project was finished by the end of August, and it officially opened on September 9.

[Main Halls of the Memorial Open to Public]

① North Hall. At its center is a 3.45-meter-tall white marble seated statue of Mao Zedong. The background is an embroidered tapestry titled “The Motherland,” measuring 23.74 meters wide and 6.6 meters high. The four square columns in the hall are made of creamy red marble from Wuxi, Jiangsu, with tops in white marble from Tianshan. The floor is paved with gray marble from Hangzhou. The ceiling is fitted with 110 glass sunflower lamps.

② Hall of Remembrance. At the center is a crystal coffin holding the remains of Mao Zedong, dressed in a gray Zhongshan suit and covered with the flag of the Communist Party of China. The base of the crystal coffin is made of black granite from Mount Tai, inlaid around the edges with gold-plated emblems of the Party, the nation, the military, and the years of Mao’s birth and death. The coffin is surrounded by clivia and glass railings. On the Han white jade wall at the front of the hall is inscribed a 17-character inscription in gold-plated clerical script: “Eternal Glory to the Great Leader and Teacher Chairman Mao Zedong.”

③ Revolutionary Achievements Memorial Rooms of Comrades Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Liu Shaoqi, Zhu De, Deng Xiaoping, and Chen Yun. These rooms showcase a vast collection of cultural relics, documents, photos, and letters, highlighting the great achievements of these six leaders in founding the Communist Party of China, building the People’s Liberation Army, establishing the People’s Republic of China, and leading socialist construction. According to statistics, the six memorial rooms display a total of 102 cultural relics, 490 photos, and 224 documents. Advanced materials and techniques are used in their presentation. Each room is equipped with a plasma ultra-thin TV and electronic touchscreens for accessing documentaries on the leaders’ lives and quotes reflecting their ideologies and virtues.

④ Film Theater. On the second floor, visitors can watch the documentary “In Memory.” This 20-minute film uses condensed storytelling and vivid imagery to illustrate the great contributions of the revolutionary leadership group—Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Liu Shaoqi, Zhu De, Deng Xiaoping, and Chen Yun—to China’s liberation and socialist construction, as well as their touching interactions with the people.

⑤ South Hall. This is the exit hall. The marble walls are engraved with Mao Zedong’s calligraphy of “Man Jiang Hong · He Guo Moruo,” all in silver-clad gold characters. Below are 10 pots of five-needle pines, displayed in vases made of unique green marble from Yunnan. The natural patterns of the marble are polished into landscapes such as Shaoshan, Jinggangshan, the Jinsha River, the Dadu River, snow-capped mountains, grasslands, Yan’an, and the Great Wall.

The surroundings of the Memorial Hall are landscaped with lush pines and cypresses. Tree species include Beijing oil pines, Qingdao cedars, junipers, and white pines. There are also 36 hawthorn trees from Fangshan and 13 Qingyang pines from Yan’an. On the east and west sides of both the north and south gates are groups of sculptures, each 15 meters long and 3.5 meters high.

The Revolutionary Achievements Memorial Rooms of Zhou Enlai and others were added to the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall with central approval to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. Meanwhile, the content and form of the 1983-established memorial rooms of Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Liu Shaoqi, Zhu De, Deng Xiaoping, and Chen Yun were adjusted and expanded. This makes the Memorial Hall an important site to remember the revolutionary achievements of these proletarian revolutionaries, as well as a key base for educating the public, especially youth, in revolutionary tradition, patriotism, and socialism.

The project to add memorial rooms and adjust the exhibition content of the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall began in July 1999. The new and adjusted exhibitions in the six memorial rooms were officially opened on July 1, 2001. The Memorial Hall displays and collects works of art by contemporary Chinese masters, including more than 2,000 calligraphy and painting pieces.

[Remembrance Information]

Address: southern end of Tiananmen Square, downtown (Dongcheng District), Beijing

Visiting hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM

The Revolutionary Achievements Memorial Rooms of Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, and the other five great leaders are open free of charge to groups only from 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM every Tuesday to Sunday.

September 9 (Death Anniversary of Chairman Mao) and December 26 (Birthday of Chairman Mao)

Visiting hours: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM

In special circumstances, the Memorial may be closed. (Please refer to notices posted around the Memorial Hall.)

Transportation: Take bus routes 1, 2, 4, 17, 20, 37, 52, 57, or 802 to Tiananmen, or take the subway to Tiananmen or Qianmen stations.

[Remembrance Guidelines]

During your visit, please observe the following guidelines:

1. Entry is free but requires a valid ID and is on a first-come, first-served queue basis.

II. Voluntarily undergo security checks. It is strictly prohibited to bring in dangerous items such as firearms, ammunition, controlled knives, flammable or explosive materials.

III. Maintain neat, appropriate attire and remove hats when paying respects. Entry is denied to those wearing tank tops or slippers.

IV. It is strictly forbidden to bring in items such as handbags, backpacks, cameras, camcorders, water bottles, or beverages. Those carrying such items must first deposit them at the baggage storage area.

V. Keep quiet. Please turn off your mobile phone or switch it to silent mode, and avoid loud talking, laughing, or playing around.

VI. Maintain environmental cleanliness. Smoking is strictly prohibited, as is spitting, chewing gum disposal on the ground, littering cigarette butts, fruit peels, paper scraps, or other waste. Climbing over railings, stepping on flower beds, or lawns is not allowed.

VII. Observe public morals, be considerate of others, and take the initiative to assist the elderly, children, pregnant women, and people with disabilities.

VIII. Take good care of your personal belongings. Do not entrust your belongings to strangers.

Suggested Duration

30 minutes

Transportation

Take bus routes 1, 2, 17, 20, 37, 52, 57, or 802 to Tiananmen, or take the subway to Tiananmen or Qianmen stations and get off.

Admission

Free

Opening Hours

Tuesday to Sunday, 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM (excluding national statutory holidays and when there are events at Tiananmen Square; please stay updated on any changes to visiting hours).

On September 9 (the commemoration day of Comrade Mao Zedong’s passing) and December 26 (the commemoration day of Comrade Mao Zedong’s birth), opening hours are 8:00 AM – 11:30 AM and 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM.

Location

No. 11 Qianmen East Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing

Mao Zedong (December 26, 1893 – September 9, 1976), courtesy name Runzhi (originally Yongzhi, later changed to Runzhi), pen name Ziren. A native of Xiangtan, Hunan. He was the leader of the Chinese people, a Marxist, a great proletarian revolutionary, strategist, and theorist, and the principal founder and leader of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese People's Liberation Army, and the People's Republic of China. He was also a poet and calligrapher.  From 1949 to 1976, Mao Zedong served as the paramount leader of the People's Republic of China. His contributions to the development of Marxism-Leninism, military theory, and...  More details about Mao Zedong++

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Municipal-Level Cultural Relics Protection Units in Beijing