Erqi Memorial Tower, the tower of spirit in Zhengzhou

One hundred years ago, with the whistle of Zhengzhou Station of Beijing- Hankou Railway, the world-famous Erqi Strike broke out on February 4, 1923, which was the first wave of labor movement led by the CPC. On February 7, Wu Peifu, a reactionary warlord, suppressed striking workers in Zhengzhou and other places along the Beijing-Hankou Railway, causing the "Erqi" massacre.

To commemorate the movement, Zhengzhou Municipal Government built a 21-meter-high wooden tower in the middle of the square in 1951. With the passage of time, that wooden tower became the "Erqi Memorial Tower " in the hearts of Zhengzhou people.

In 1963, Zhengzhou Municipal government planned to rebuild the Erqi Memorial Tower, and the construction of the dual-tower began on July 1, 1971. Under the conditions of material shortage and backward technology at that time, after 100 days’ hard work by more than 200 construction workers, a brand-new Erqi Memorial Tower stands in the middle of the Erqi Square, becoming a landmark building and the city’s name card.

As the youngest "state-level" protected unit in China, Erqi Tower is also the "spiritual tower" of Zhengzhou. The tower is 63 meters high, on which standing a clock with a diameter of 2.7 meters. At the top of the bell tower stands a 9-meter flagpole with a red five-pointed star.