Tangshan Earthquake Ruins (Memorial Park)

Tangshan Earthquake Ruins (Memorial Park)

The Tangshan Earthquake Ruins (Memorial Park) is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Tangshan Earthquake Ruins Memorial Park began construction in April 2008, was preliminarily completed and opened to the public in July 2008. Covering a total area of 400,000 square meters with a total investment of 600 million yuan, it is the world’s first earthquake ruins park themed around “commemoration.” The park’s design fully reflects the concepts of “reverence for nature, care for life, exploration of science, and remembrance of history.” With the original railway tracks of the Tangshan Locomotive and Rolling Stock Works as the vertical axis and the Memorial Avenue as the horizontal axis, the park is divided into areas such as the earthquake ruins zone, memorial water zone, memorial forest zone, and memorial square. The Earthquake Museum within the park was completed in October 2009. The memorial square in the park covers an area of 30,000 square meters, with a floor paved in black-and-white marble that can accommodate tens of thousands of people for major events. It serves as an important site within the park for people to commemorate loved ones and mourn the deceased.

Directly in front of the square is the memorial pool, covering an area of 30,000 square meters. The theme sculptures in the pool are made of stone and bronze, using realistic sculptural language to depict the vivid scenes of the people of Tangshan standing together through adversity in the face of disaster. These sculptures inspire people to cherish life and strive with determination.

The Tangshan Earthquake Victims Memorial Wall consists of five groups of 13 walls, inscribed with the names of the 240,000 compatriots who perished in the 1976 Tangshan Earthquake. Each wall of the memorial stands 7.28 meters high, representing July 28, and the walls are located 19.76 meters from the water’s surface, representing the year 1976. This design symbolizes the temporal and spatial distance between the deceased and the living, serving as a constant reminder of the sorrowful day of July 28, 1976, for the people of Tangshan. Directly behind the north side of the memorial wall lies a 140,000-square-meter memorial forest, where over 30,000 trees and plants have been planted, symbolizing life and commemoration.

The Tangshan Earthquake Museum within the park has a construction area of 12,000 square meters and consists of two sub-exhibition halls: the Memorial Exhibition Hall and the Science Popularization Exhibition Hall. It is currently the largest earthquake-themed exhibition hall in China. The Memorial Exhibition Hall is located on the underground level of the museum, displaying nearly 500 photos, over 300 artifacts, four sets of restored landscape scenes, and more than 30 wax figures. It primarily showcases the massive devastation caused by the Tangshan Earthquake and the heroic efforts of the people of Tangshan in post-earthquake rescue, disaster relief, and rebuilding their homes under the care and leadership of the Party Central Committee, with the support of the People’s Liberation Army and people across the nation. The Science Popularization Exhibition Hall spans both ground and underground levels. Built around the Memorial Exhibition Hall and adopting the display methods of a science museum, it provides a comprehensive introduction to earthquakes throughout history and around the world, promotes earthquake knowledge, and highlights the overall image of the field of seismology. With an exhibition area of 6,500 square meters, it is divided into sections including the foyer, Earthquake Science Exhibition Hall, Earthquake Activity and Observation Exhibition Hall, Earthquake Disaster Prevention Exhibition Hall, Earthquake Emergency Rescue Exhibition Hall, 4D Dynamic Cinema, and Disaster Prevention Experience Classroom. Visitors can personally experience the immense power of earthquakes, learn and master knowledge related to escape, shelter, and self-rescue, and receive training on responding to various natural disasters.

The Tangshan Earthquake Ruins Memorial Park provides an ideal venue for all sectors of society and the general public to pay civilized tribute to the victims of the earthquake, carry out patriotic education, promote science popularization on earthquake prevention and disaster reduction, and conduct academic research and exchanges on earthquakes. It serves as a window and frontline position for promoting Tangshan. In June 2011, the park was included in the list of “National Red Tourism Classic Scenic Areas,” and in July 2011, it was awarded the title of “National Earthquake Prevention and Disaster Reduction Science Popularization Education Demonstration Base” by the China Earthquake Administration.

Address: No. 19 Yuegezhuang Road, Tangshan City

Type: Memorial Hall

Phone: 0315-5939728

Official Website: http://www.tseqpark.com/

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units