Earthquake Memorial Hall

Earthquake Memorial Hall

Earthquake Memorial Hall

On July 24, 2000, the Publicity Department of the Party Committee of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region announced 27 autonomous region-level patriotic education bases, among which the Wushi County Earthquake Monument was included.

The Wushi County Earthquake Memorial Hall is situated in a triangular garden at the intersection of Tuanjie Road, Guangming Road, and Xingfu Road in the county town of Wushi County. It enjoys convenient transportation — Provincial Highway 309 provides direct access to Kashgar, 95 kilometers away, and Artux, 100 kilometers away. The Earthquake Memorial Hall stands as another monument to the unity and hard work of people of all ethnicities in Wushi under the leadership of the Party. The old town of Wushi was originally the county seat established by Shufu County in Wuluqati in the 9th year of the Republic of China (1920). A magnitude 7.4 earthquake in 1985 razed the old county town to the ground. Later, a new town was built 6 kilometers northeast of the old county seat in Bolumu, and within two years, a new county town began to take shape. The Earthquake Memorial Hall’s main monument was erected in October 1988, completed on October 17, 1989, and unveiled with a ceremony. The main structure, the memorial stele, faces south and stands 11.8 meters tall, designed in a triangular, tripod-like form symbolizing the three main ethnic groups in Wushi: the Kyrgyz, Uyghur, and Han peoples. The stele bears inscriptions by Wang Enmao, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and Temur Dawamat, then Deputy Secretary of the Autonomous Region Party Committee and Chairman of the Autonomous Region. The inscriptions are engraved in both Chinese and Kyrgyz. It vividly showcases the history of how the people of all ethnicities in Wushi fought against natural disasters and rebuilt their homes after the magnitude 7.4 earthquake in 1985. At the same time, it reflects the ethnic customs of the Kyrgyz people and the rich cultural heritage of minority groups, serving as a vivid and moving representation of the heroic and inspiring epic of unity and progress among the Kyrgyz and other ethnic groups, displayed for domestic and international visitors.

As the Earthquake Monument truthfully records this history rich in patriotic spirit, it has served as a local site for patriotic activities and a tourist attraction for over a decade since its unveiling. It continues to attract numerous visitors from within and outside the region, as well as from neighboring countries, who come to take photos and pay their respects. Its appeal remains enduring. On major commemorative days such as July 1 and May 4 each year, groups of passionate youths from various ethnicities gather here to take solemn oaths. The Earthquake Monument has earned a distinguished reputation across the Pamir Plateau for its strong political significance, rich ethnic characteristics, and profound cultural heritage.